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 You Ever Been Lonely
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have you ever loved someone just as I love you
Can't you see that I'm sorry for each mistake I've made
Can't you see I've changed dear can't you see I've paid
Be a little forgiving take me back in your heart
How can I go on living now that we're apart
If you knew what I've been through then you'd know why I ask you
Have you ever been lonely have you ever been blue
(How can I go on living) now that we're apart
If you knew what I've been through...
The lyrics to Wanda Jackson's song "Have You Ever Been Lonely" depict the singer's deep remorse and longing to be with their lover again. The song begins with a series of questions addressed to the lover, asking if they have ever felt the same sense of loneliness and heartbreak that the singer is currently experiencing. It's an emotional opening that establishes the song's theme of asking for forgiveness and trying to make amends.
The singer then goes on to plead with their lover to see the changes they've made and to forgive them for the mistakes they've made in the past. The repetition of the phrase "can't you see" emphasizes the singer's desperation for the lover to understand how much they regret their actions. The line "Can't you see I've paid" suggests that the singer has suffered as a result of their mistakes and that they believe they have endured enough to be given another chance.
The final lines of the song reveal the depth of the singer's pain, asking the lover to imagine what it feels like to be in their position. The song ends with a haunting repetition of the song's opening lines, driving home the theme of loneliness and the singer's hope that the lover will take them back.
Overall, "Have You Ever Been Lonely" is a powerful depiction of love and heartbreak, with lyrics that convey a sense of desperation and remorse that is easy to empathize with.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you ever been lonely have you ever been blue
Have you ever felt the same kind of loneliness and sadness that I am feeling right now?
Have you ever loved someone just as I love you
Have you ever had deep, profound feelings of love for someone like the way I love you?
Can't you see that I'm sorry for each mistake I've made
I want you to understand that I am truly sorry for all the mistakes I've made.
Can't you see I've changed dear can't you see I've paid
I want you to see that I have changed and learned from my mistakes, and that I have paid the price for them.
Be a little forgiving take me back in your heart
Please find it in your heart to forgive me and give me another chance to be with you.
How can I go on living now that we're apart
I am struggling to cope with life without you now that we are no longer together.
If you knew what I've been through then you'd know why I ask you
If you only knew the pain and heartache I have experienced since we separated, you would understand why I am asking for your forgiveness.
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC. , Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOWARD E JOHNSON, PETER DE ROSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind