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.
Heartbreak Hotel
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I found a new place to dwell
Well, it's down at the end of Lonely Street
At Heartbreak Hotel
Well, I'll be
I'll be so lonely baby
Well, I'm so lonely
Oh, although it's always crowded
You still can find some room
For broken hearted lovers
To cry there in their gloom
They'll be so
They'll be so lonely, baby
Well, they're so lonely
They're so lonely, they could die
Now, the bell hop's tears keep flowin'
And the desk clerk's dressed in black
Well, they been so long on Lonely Street
They'll never ever look back
And it's so
Well, it's so lonely baby
Well, they're so lonely
Well, they're so lonely, they could've die
Well, if your baby leaves you
You got a tale to tell
Well, just take a walk down Lonely Street
To Heartbreak Hotel
Where you will be
You'll be so lonely, baby
Well you'll be lonely
You'll be so lonely you could die
Oh, although it's always crowded
You still can find some room
For broken hearted lovers
To cry there in their gloom
They've been so
They're be so lonely, baby
Well, they're so lonely
They'll be so lonely, they could die
"Heartbreak Hotel" is a classic rock and roll song that tells a mournful story about the desperate loneliness experienced by a broken-hearted lover. The lyrics describe the singer's journey after being left by their baby, and finding themselves at Heartbreak Hotel. The description of the location as being at the end of Lonely Street is fitting, as it highlights the feeling of isolation and sadness that the character is experiencing. The imagery of bell hops crying and desk clerks dressed in black paints a picture of a bleak and dreary place where people come to mourn their lost love.
The song’s lyrics affirm that love can be a lonely and painful experience, and that even when surrounded by others, the heartbroken can feel completely alone. The repeated declarations of loneliness and the threat of death are powerful, as they speak to the raw emotions of a person going through a breakup. While the hotel may be crowded with other heartbroken individuals, the singer still asserts that they will feel completely alone, as though their sorrow is inescapable. The song is melancholic and haunting, with the repetition of the phrase "so lonely" driving the message home.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, since my baby left me
After my significant other broke up with me
Well, I found a new place to dwell
I discovered a new location to reside
Well, it's down at the end of Lonely Street
The place is situated at the termination of Lonely Street
At Heartbreak Hotel
It's called Heartbreak Hotel
Well, I'll be
Expressing surprise
I'll be so lonely baby
I will feel very isolated and solitary
Well, I'm so lonely
I'm feeling excessively lonely
I'll be so lonely, I could die
I'm so sad that I might perish
Oh, although it's always crowded
Despite it typically being busy
You still can find some room
One can still locate some space
For brokenhearted lovers
For people who endured heartbreak
To cry there in their gloom
To weep while feeling despondent and disheartened
They'll be so
They will become very
They'll be so lonely, baby
They will be extremely lonely
Well, they're so lonely
They are very lonely
They're so lonely, they could die
They are so unhappy that they might perish
Now, the bell hop's tears keep flowin'
The bellhop is continuously shedding tears
And the desk clerk's dressed in black
The front desk attendant is wearing black clothes
Well, they been so long on Lonely Street
They've been residing on Lonely Street for a long time
They'll never ever look back
They won't move on from the past
And it's so
It's definitely
Well, it's so lonely baby
It's extremely solitary
Well, they're so lonely
They are very lonely
Well, they're so lonely, they could've die
They are so unhappy that they might perish
Well, if your baby leaves you
If your significant other leaves you
You got a tale to tell
You have a story to share
Well, just take a walk down Lonely Street
Take a stroll along Lonely Street
To Heartbreak Hotel
Go to Heartbreak Hotel
Where you will be
You'll become
You'll be so lonely, baby
You'll be extremely lonely
Well you'll be lonely
You will be solitary
You'll be so lonely you could die
You'll be so unhappy that you might perish
Oh, although it's always crowded
Despite it typically being busy
You still can find some room
One can still locate some space
For brokenhearted lovers
For people who endured heartbreak
To cry there in their gloom
To weep while feeling despondent and disheartened
They've been so
They've become very
They're be so lonely, baby
They will be extremely lonely
Well, they're so lonely
They are very lonely
They'll be so lonely, they could die
They will be so unhappy that they might perish
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Elvis Aaron Presley, Mae Boren Axton, Thomas R. Durden
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind