Jackson was still in high school when country singer Hank Thompson heard her sing on an Oklahoma City radio show and asked her to record with his band in 1954. She dated Elvis Presley, who encouraged her to step away from the country-tinged gospel she had been performing since childhood and try her hand at rock and roll. She developed her own distinctive voice and performed in a variety of styles, from folksy traditional tunes to country twang and high yodels to throaty, suggestive ballads. She was a prolific singer of songs with wry lyrics such as "Fujiyama Mama," which contained many references to the World War II bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; ironically, it became a #1 hit in Japan. Her biggest hit was 1959's "Let's Have a Party."
Jackson achieved great and continuing success throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia, but has never found the same level of fame in her native United States. She toured with rock and roll pioneers such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly. She has been nominated for two Grammys, and has been awarded the Oklahoma Native Daughter Award. She has been inducted into the Oklahoma Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the International Hall of Fame, the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, and the German Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2009 was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influence.
A born-again Christian, Jackson and her husband/manager Wendell Goodman abandoned rock and roll in 1971 and spent the next 25 years performing gospel in churches.
In 1996, Jackson was invited by alt-country singer Rosie Flores to duet with her on an upcoming album. The two were so pleased with the results that Jackson joined Flores on a handful of promotional club dates which were soon extended into a five-week North American tour. Jackson, plesantly surprised to discover that she and her songs were known by a generation of rockabilly fans her grandchildren's age, soon assembled her own band and returned to clubs and festivals, where she continues to perform.
In recent years Jackson has recorded with such artists as The Cramps, Lee Rocker, Dave Alvin, and Elvis Costello. 2006 saw the release of a new Jackson album, I Remember Elvis.
In 2009, it was announced that Jackson would start work on new recordings with Jack White. The resulting album, The Party Ain't Over, was released on January 25, 2011. It included a cover of the Bob Dylan rockabilly song, "Thunder on the Mountain" and the Amy Winehouse song "You Know I'm No Good". On January 20, 2011, she performed with Jack White on The Late Show With David Letterman and again on January 25, 2011, on Conan.
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on
I have read His fiery gospel writ in rows of burnished steel!
As ye deal with my contemners, so with you My grace shall deal!
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel
Since God is marching on
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him, be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free!
While God is marching on
The lyrics to Wanda Jackson's "Battle Hymn of the Republic" are full of allusions to the Bible and Christian imagery. The song speaks of the coming of the Lord and His judgment upon the wicked, represented by the grapes of wrath. The powerful image of the Lord using a swift sword to dispense judgment on His enemies is reminiscent of the Book of Revelation. The refrain, "Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!" is a reference to a common hymn sung in churches, while the repetition of "His truth is marching on" at the end of each stanza reinforces the idea that the Lord's judgment and truth will prevail.
The second stanza of the song speaks of the many fires the singer has seen, where people have gathered to build an altar and pay homage to the Lord. The "dim and flaring lamps" suggest an other-worldly, mystical atmosphere. The third stanza is more menacing, with the singer referencing the "fiery gospel writ in rows of burnished steel." In this stanza, the singer warns those who oppose the Lord that judgment will come swift and unyielding.
Line by Line Meaning
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
I have witnessed the magnificence of the arrival of the Lord.
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored
He is crushing out the stored anger and resentment as if it were a vineyard.
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword
He unleashed the destructive force of His fierce weapon.
His truth is marching on
His truth carries on despite any obstacles.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Praise and honor be the Lord's!
His truth is marching on
His truth carries on despite any obstacles.
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
I've seen the Lord in the patterns of campfire flames.
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
They've constructed an altar for Him in the damp evening air.
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His right and fair judgment is made clear by the low light of flickering lamps.
His day is marching on
His time is arriving without fail.
I have read His fiery gospel writ in rows of burnished steel!
I've read His passionate message inscribed in polished steel.
As ye deal with my contemners, so with you My grace shall deal!
I will respond to you with the same mercy you show my adversaries.
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel
May the Hero, born from a woman, defeat the treacherous snake.
Since God is marching on
As God continues to move forward.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He has sounded a trumpet that won't signal a retreat.
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat
He is evaluating the hearts of humans before His throne of judgment.
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him, be jubilant, my feet!
My soul must quickly respond to Him, and my feet should rejoice!
Our God is marching on
Our God is pressing ahead.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea
Jesus Christ was born across the sea in the presence of beautiful lilies.
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
He bears a radiance that changes us.
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free!
Just as He died to purify us, we'll die to liberate others!
While God is marching on
Even while God is relentlessly pushing forward.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MORTON GOULD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind