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.
Every Time They Play Our Song
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But every time they play our song it makes me cry
I try to find a new love and let these mem'ries die
But every time they play our song I have to cry
I try to go to sleep each night and dream my blues away
But every time I close my eyes the music's starting to play
And then I can't forget you no matter how I try
Every time they play our song I have to cry
The lyrics to "Every Time They Play Our Song" by Wanda Jackson speak to the heartache and struggle of moving on from a past relationship. Despite trying to live without the ex-lover and finding new love, hearing the song that is associated with memories of the past relationship brings back painful emotions, making the singer cry. The song shows the power of music to evoke strong emotions and memories, even those that we may try to forget.
The line "I try to go to sleep each night and dream my blues away" shows the singer's attempt to find some solace from the heartache, but the music always manages to creep into her dreams, triggering those painful emotions once again. The idea that the music is still playing even when the singer tries to forget highlights the idea that the past cannot be erased completely. The passionate and emotive delivery of the lyrics by Wanda Jackson adds to the intensity of the emotions evoked in the song.
Overall, "Every Time They Play Our Song" is a poignant reminder that music has an immense power over our emotions and memories. Despite our best efforts to move on, our past emotions and memories are always lurking in the background, waiting to be triggered by a certain song or melody.
Line by Line Meaning
I try to live without you and hold my head up high
I do my best to move on and be strong in your absence
But every time they play our song it makes me cry
Yet, whenever I hear our song, it still deeply affects me and brings tears to my eyes
I try to find a new love and let these mem'ries die
I attempt to find another love and forget about you and our memories together
But every time they play our song I have to cry
Yet, whenever I hear our song, my efforts to move on are in vain and I can't help but cry
I try to go to sleep each night and dream my blues away
I hope to find solace in my dreams and forget the sadness I feel
But every time I close my eyes the music's starting to play
However, even in my dreams, the music of our song haunts me
And then I can't forget you no matter how I try
Despite my best efforts to move on and forget you, the power of our song reminds me of you
Every time they play our song I have to cry
Therefore, every time I hear our song, I am unable to control my emotions and tears fall from my eyes
Contributed by William N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Daniel Alejandro Alarcón Coya
Qué hermosa y cómo canta