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.
Candy Man
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on sugar let me take you by the hand
You're for me
Won't you be all my own candy candy candy man
Come on baby, I love your honey lovin' ways
Come on sweet thing, I love your honey lovin'
Your honey lovin' ways
Come to me
Come on baby I'm gonna treat you right
I'll give you candy kisses ever single night
You're for me
Won't you be all my own candy, candy, candy man
Oh candy, candy, candy
I've got a sweet sweet thing for you
Yeah candy, candy, candy
I've got a sweet sweet thing for you
The lyrics to Wanda Jackson's song "Candy Man" are quite simple and easy to understand on the face of it. The singer is calling out to her lover, asking him to be with her and love her as much as she loves him. She urges him to hold her hand and be her candy man. The repetition of the phrase "candy candy candy man" denotes the sweetness and desire in her relationship, while the lines "come on baby, I love your honey lovin' ways" and "Come on sweet thing, I love your honey lovin' your honey lovin' ways" establish the sensual and physical nature of their relationship. The candy kisses she promises every single night are a testament to her love and loyalty to him.
The song possibly alludes to the sweet and addictive nature of love, likening it to candy. It could also be seen as a playful exploration of the gender roles involved in relationships. The fact that the singer is urging the man to be her candy man can be seen as an inversion of traditional gender roles, where the man is the provider and the woman is the one to be cared for. The song, therefore, can be read as a commentary on the changing norms of the time.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on baby let me take you by the hand
The singer is inviting someone to come along with them.
Come on sugar let me take you by the hand
The singer is asking a sweet person to follow them.
You're for me
The singer is expressing their romantic interest and ownership.
Won't you be all my own candy candy candy man
The singer wants the person to be their exclusive lover.
Come on baby, I love your honey lovin' ways
The singer likes the way the person expresses their love.
Come on sweet thing, I love your honey lovin'
The singer really likes the way the person shows their love.
Your honey lovin' ways
The way the person loves is like honey to the singer.
Come to me
The singer wants the person to come closer to them.
Won't you be all my own candy candy candy man
The singer wants the person to be their exclusive lover.
Come on baby I'm gonna treat you right
The singer will show the person a good time.
I'll give you candy kisses ever single night
The singer will show their sweet love to the person every night.
Oh candy, candy, candy
The singer really likes candy and uses it as a metaphor for love.
I've got a sweet sweet thing for you
The singer has a sweet love waiting for the person.
Yeah candy, candy, candy
The singer is emphasizing the sweetness of their love.
I've got a sweet sweet thing for you
The singer has a sweet love waiting for the person.
Lyrics © WYNWOOD MUSIC CO. INC.
Written by: JOHN S HURT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jameswall8754
I.could.to.wanda.jackson.all.day.this.is.real.music..
@antiqham1
Another one of the good ole gal singers Thanks so much for posting..
@johnjurkewicz9925
So beautiful to listening to and I love it
@alexarolasgarcia1747
Esta buena canción la compuso ROY ORBISON y la canto en el año 1961 y la versiono WANDA JACKSON en el año 1964
@alalalaalalala11
LOVE this ver <3
@db90990
I wonder of roy orbison heard her rendition.