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.
Don't Let Me Cross Over
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm tempted my darling to steal you away
Don't let me cross over stay out of my way
You know that I love you and I'm not the cheatin' kind
But I'm tasted with heartaches at love's cheating line
Don't let me cross over love's cheating line
You belong to another you'll never be mine
I know one step closer would be heaven divine
I've tried to forget you but what else can I do
When your eyes keep saying that you love me too
I know if I lose you not a dream would I have left
I don't want to cheat dear but I can't help myself
Don't let me cross over...
Don't let me cross over love's cheating line
The lyrics of Wanda Jackson’s song Don’t Let Me Cross Over speak of the struggle of a person who is in love with someone who is already committed to another person. The song represents the conflict between being faithful to one's principles and the temptation of violating them in the name of love. The lyrics say that the singer loves her partner and doesn’t cheat but is tempted to do so because of the heartaches caused by “love’s cheating line”. The singer implores her partner not to let her cross over this line as this would be a violation of the loyalty and commitment in their relationship.
The lyrics of the song are significant because they represent a larger human struggle, focusing on the theme of the choices that people make when they are in love. It showcases the battle of raw human emotions against the moral and ethical values that people hold. The words of the song present an honest account of the struggle that people face when they are drawn towards someone they can’t have. The song highlights a universal experience and emotion that people have gone through at some point in their lives.
In conclusion, Wanda Jackson's Don't Let Me Cross Over is a poignant love song exploring the struggle between our emotions, loyalty and faithfulness. The song's appeal lies in its honesty and insight into humanity's universal struggle with choosing between our hearts and our heads.
Line by Line Meaning
(Don't let me cross over love's cheating line)
I'm pleading with you not to let me cross the line where I would be cheating on you
I'm tempted my darling to steal you away
I am feeling tempted to win you over from your current partner
Don't let me cross over stay out of my way
Please help me resist the temptation by staying away from me
You know that I love you and I'm not the cheatin' kind
You should know that I truly love you and I do not have a history of being unfaithful
But I'm tasted with heartaches at love's cheating line
However, I feel the pull of heartache and sorrow when I contemplate crossing the line and betraying someone's trust
You belong to another you'll never be mine
Deep down I know that you already belong to someone else and I cannot have you
I know one step closer would be heaven divine
Even though I know I shouldn't, I feel that taking one step closer to you would be pure bliss
I've tried to forget you but what else can I do
I've attempted to move on from my feelings for you, but nothing seems to work
When your eyes keep saying that you love me too
I am continually reminded of your affection for me when I look into your eyes
I know if I lose you not a dream would I have left
Losing you would be devastating, I cannot imagine a future without you
I don't want to cheat dear but I can't help myself
I do not wish to deceive you, but my emotions are too strong for me to resist
Don't let me cross over...
Once again, I beg of you to prevent me from cheating and crossing the line
Don't let me cross over love's cheating line
I implore you to ensure that I do not cross the line of infidelity in our relationship
Contributed by Bentley V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Milton Moore
A recording of mesmerizing beauty. Wanda Jackson and Connie Smith
are the fillies that
shot out of the
gate and came
around the home
stretch neck-to
neck-with their
noses ultimately pressed
up against the
finish line in a
dead heat photo finish for first place among the
divas of country
music! Connie is
in the COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME. Wanda isn't. What a travesty of justice!
This particular song is one of the
reasons she will
eventually get there, but hopefully before before we
are BOTH DEAD!
Long live the iconic Wanda Jackson!
Dan Dean
I absolutely love Wanda Jackson and I miss "real" country music so much.
Milton Moore
This petite gal singer,
the most famous person ever born in Maud, Oklahoma, can
really sing from the
mountaintop!
She sounds so fantastic here, one would think she could make a fan out of ANYBODY, country music lover, or no!
No greater recording
out of her than this!
PURE GOLD!
Ruth Boykin
Right!
Robert Evers
She is one of the best
Gina Maganes
7
Milton Moore
@Gina Maganes
SEVEN.....
"GOD'S PERFECT NUMBER."🌠👏👍🌠
Min Choon Len
Wanda did a wonderful rendition on this country classic. I am so glad I found a gem here.
James T Campbell
Wanda is a special Gem.
John Sey
This song was recorded by many country artist but damn Wanda does it sooo good ....You go girl !!!!
Gregory Patton
My all-time female country music star song, the way she can change the tone of her voice midstream into this song is amazing. This song is so beautiful it makes me cry. I can play this masterpiece over and over and over and over again. My second-favorite Wanda Jackson song is have you ever been lonely.