Wanda Jackson (born Wanda Lavonne Jackson, October 20, 1937 in Maud, Oklaho… Read Full Bio ↴Wanda Jackson (born Wanda Lavonne Jackson, October 20, 1937 in Maud, Oklahoma) is an American rock and roll singer. Having made her debut recordings at the age of nineteen, she became one of the first popular female rock and roll singers in history and as a result, a pioneering and influential figure in female musicianship. She is known as the "Queen (or First Lady) of Rockabilly."

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.

Give Me The Right
Wanda Jackson Lyrics

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Give me the right

To hold you tonight

The tears that I?ve cried over you

Give me the right

You can't say no

When I need you so

I want you back in my arms

Give me the right

If you looked deep in your heart

Like I looked into mine

You'll find that nothing has changed

Our love was there all the time

Why make me plead

For something you need

I want to bring back the thrill

Give me the right

Give me the right

Overall Meaning

Wanda Jackson's song "Give Me The Right" is a passionate plea to be reunited with her lover. The opening lines of the song express her desire to hold her lover in her arms and to cry the tears of joy that she longs to shed, having been without him for so long. Throughout the song, she pleads with him to give her the right to hold him, to be with him, to bring back the thrill that they once shared. She begs him not to say no when she needs him the most, and implores him to look deep into his heart as she has done with hers and to see that their love has never waned.

The song carries a powerful sentiment about the human need for love and the lengths that we are willing to go to in order to be with the ones we cherish. It speaks to the heart of anyone who has ever been separated from someone they love, and captures the essential human desire to be unconditionally accepted and loved.

Line by Line Meaning

Give me the right
Grant me the permission

To hold you tonight
To embrace you in my arms this evening

The tears that I?ve cried over you
The many tears I have shed because of you

Give me the right
I beseech you to grant me this favor

You can't say no
You cannot refuse me

When I need you so
When I have an intense desire for you

I want you back in my arms
I crave to have you in my embrace once again

Give me the right
Please grant me your approval

If you looked deep in your heart
If you introspect earnestly

Like I looked into mine
As I have scrutinized my heart

You'll find that nothing has changed
You will realize that our love has remained constant