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.
Good Rockin' Tonight
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's good rockin' tonight.
Well, I heard the news
There's good rockin' tonight.
I'm gonna hold my baby
As tight as I can.
Tonight she'll know
I heard the news,
There's good rockin' tonight.
I say, well, meet me in a hurry
Behind the barn,
Don't you be afraid, darling,
I'll do you no harm
I want you to bring
Along my rockin' shoes,
'Cause tonight I'm gonna rock away
All my blues.
I heard the news,
There's good rockin' tonight.
Well, we're gonna rock. We're gonna rock.
Let's rock. Come on and rock.
We're gonna rock all our blues away.
Have you heard the news?
Everybody's rockin' tonight.
Have you heard the news?
Everybody's rockin' tonight.
I'm gonna hold my baby
As tight as I can,
Well, tonight she'll know
I'm a mighty, mighty man.
I heard the news,
There's good rockin' tonight.
Well, we're gonna rock, rock, rock,
Come on and rock, rock, rock,
Well, rock, rock, rock, rock,
Let's rock, rock, rock, rock,
We're gonna rock all our blues away.
The lyrics to Wanda Jackson's song "Good Rockin' Tonight" speak of a joyful event that has people excitedly rocking out. The mention of "good rockin'" in the title and throughout the lyrics would indicate that it is a celebration or party. The lyrics also speak of a man who feels empowered or confident, as he wants to show off his skills as a "mighty, mighty man." The lines "I heard the news" and "have you heard the news" may suggest that the celebration is an impromptu event that has spread by word of mouth, adding to the excitement and spontaneity of the occasion. The lyrics also suggest that the man wants to impress his lover and is looking forward to showing off his dancing skills.
The second verse of the song takes a slightly more romantic turn with the man making plans to meet his lover "behind the barn" and reassuring her that she has nothing to fear as he urges her to bring along his "rockin' shoes." This romantic interlude is short-lived, as the lyrics quickly return to talking about rocking out with lines like "Tonight she'll know I'm a mighty, mighty man" and "we're gonna rock all our blues away." The repetition of the phrase "rock, rock, rock" contributes to the lively and upbeat tone of the song.
Overall, Jackson's song "Good Rockin' Tonight" is a celebration of music, dance, and the joy of being alive in the moment. It speaks of the power of music to bring people together and lift their spirits, and encourages listeners to join in the celebration of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I heard the news
I just found out something exciting
There's good rockin' tonight.
People are going to have a great time dancing to good music tonight
I'm gonna hold my baby
I will hold my loved one close
As tight as I can.
I will hold them as tightly as possible
Tonight she'll know
This night will prove to my partner that I am powerful and capable
I'm a mighty, mighty man.
I am strong and important
I heard the news,
I received exciting information
There's good rockin' tonight.
People are going to have a great time dancing to good music tonight
I say, well, meet me in a hurry
I suggest meeting quickly
Behind the barn,
In the place behind the building
Don't you be afraid, darling,
You have no reason to be scared, my love
I'll do you no harm
I have no intention of harming you
I want you to bring
Please bring with you
Along my rockin' shoes,
My shoes for dancing to lively music
'Cause tonight I'm gonna rock away
I will be dancing tonight
All my blues.
I will forget my troubles and be happy while dancing
I heard the news,
I received exciting information
There's good rockin' tonight.
People are going to have a great time dancing to good music tonight
Well, we're gonna rock. We're gonna rock.
We will be dancing to rock music
Let's rock. Come on and rock.
Join me in dancing
We're gonna rock all our blues away.
We will be happy and forget our troubles while dancing
Have you heard the news?
Did you receive exciting information?
Everybody's rockin' tonight.
Many people will be dancing to good music tonight
Have you heard the news?
Did you receive exciting information?
Everybody's rockin' tonight.
Many people will be dancing to good music tonight
I'm gonna hold my baby
I will hold my loved one close
As tight as I can,
I will hold them as tightly as possible
Well, tonight she'll know
This night will prove to my partner that I am powerful and capable
I'm a mighty, mighty man.
I am strong and important
I heard the news,
I received exciting information
There's good rockin' tonight.
People are going to have a great time dancing to good music tonight
Well, we're gonna rock, rock, rock,
We will be dancing to rock music repeatedly
Come on and rock, rock, rock,
Please join me in dancing to rock music repeatedly
Well, rock, rock, rock, rock,
Dance repeatedly while enjoying the music
Let's rock, rock, rock, rock,
Join me in enjoying this type of music while dancing repeatedly
We're gonna rock all our blues away.
We will be happy and forget our troubles while dancing repeatedly
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management US LLC
Written by: ROY (USA) BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind