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.
Have I Grown Used to Missing You
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have I finally grown used to mssing you
In the lonely hours tonight will I long to hold you tight
For have I finally grown used to missing you
For I must not let go of the greatest love I'll know
Is there still a change that you'll come back to me
It would be more than I could take and I know my heart would break
Oh I must not let go...
Have I finally grown used to missing you
Wanda Jackson's song "Have I Grown Used to Missing You" expresses the inner turmoil of someone who is trying to come to terms with their feelings after a breakup. The song begins with the singer stating that they haven't cried all day, and that the pain of missing their ex seems to have disappeared. However, as the night wears on, doubts begin to creep in. Will they still long to hold their ex? Have they really grown used to the pain of missing them?
The singer's internal monologue continues in the second verse. They acknowledge that they don't want to let go of the love they felt for their ex, but wonder if there is any chance of reconciliation. They admit that if they have truly grown used to missing their ex, the pain of their absence may be too great to bear if they were to return.
The song ends on this unresolved note, leaving the listener to contemplate the possibility of moving on despite lingering feelings of love and loss.
Overall, "Have I Grown Used to Missing You" is a poignant exploration of the difficulty of letting go of a past love. It speaks to the universal human experience of grappling with conflicting emotions in the aftermath of a breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
I haven't cried a tear all day and the hurtin's gone away
I have begun to move on from the heartbreak and have not shed tears today, thus signifying that the pain is fading away.
Have I finally grown used to missing you
I question if I have become accustomed to the aching sensation that I feel when I miss you, perhaps implying that the agony may never cease.
In the lonely hours tonight will I long to hold you tight
When the lonesome night arrives, will I yearn for your embrace with great fervor, craving the warmth and comfort that only you can provide.
For have I finally grown used to missing you
I continue to question whether I have acclimated to the continuous affliction of longing for you, reflecting my state of confusion and overwhelming emotions.
For I must not let go of the greatest love I'll know
I realize that I cannot relinquish the memories of our love, as it stands as the most powerful bond that I will ever experience in my lifetime.
Is there still a change that you'll come back to me
I ponder if there remains a possibility of you returning to me despite the long period of absence, conveying my hopefulness and wishful thinking despite the odds.
It would be more than I could take and I know my heart would break
I anticipate that if you do not return, my unhealed heart would shatter beyond repair due to my reliance on you and our love, indicating the overwhelming and unbearable pain that I would inevitably feel.
If I've really grown used to missing you
I question whether accepting the sorrow of missing you is a healthy and constructive state of mind, or whether I am simply deluding myself into believing that I have adapted to the experience.
Oh I must not let go...
I reiterate that I cannot let go of our love and the memories associated with it, implying that I am in a state of emotional turmoil, struggling to move on despite the pain.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NED MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ruth Boykin
Wanda Jackson was one of the most talented female country singers ever! I love this song!
alex arolas garcia
Esta buena canción la canto WANDA JACKSON en el año 1965
Milton Moore
One of her best!
Although one of
her shortest recordings.(Even shorter than recorded because the finale
was clipped. Any way this can be corrected?
Hate to see the great work you do marred by imperfections like this, which I'm told are caused by you tube.)
Ruth Boykin
Thank you MMMM!