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.
Honey Bop
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now the cats are in a trance, all they wanna do is bop
So bop, honey bop, well bop, a-honey bop
Oh bop, honey bop, well don't stop, a-honey bop
When the band begins to rock and it's rockin' to your blues
If you think you blow your top
Well, put on your rockin' shoes
And bop, honey bop, well bop, a-honey bop
When the night is up and gone, but you still wanna go
Though you see light of dawn, baby tell the band to blow
And bop, honey bop, well bop, a-honey bop
Well bop, honey bop, don't stop, a-honey bop
Well the waltz is for the square and the rhumba is too old
Baby, we're just rockin' let it satisfy your soul
So bop, honey bop, well bop, a-honey bop
Oh bop, honey bop, well don't stop, a-honey bop
Well, now you've heard the dance, they call the bunny-hop
But the cats are in a trance, all they wanna do is bop
So bop, honey bop, well bop, a-honey bop
Well bop, honey bop, well don't stop, a-bop-bop-bop
The song "Honey Bop" by Wanda Jackson is a fun and energetic rock and roll tune that encourages listeners to let loose and dance. The lyrics describe different dance styles, such as the bunny-hop, waltz, and rhumba, but suggest that the only dance that truly satisfies the soul is the bop. Wanda Jackson's powerful vocals and the upbeat rhythm of the song make it impossible not to want to get up and dance.
While the lyrics themselves are fairly straightforward, the message behind them is about more than just dancing. The song encourages listeners to let go of their inhibitions and just enjoy themselves. It's about living in the moment and not worrying about what others might think. The bop is not just a dance, but a state of mind.
Overall, "Honey Bop" is a song about having fun and letting loose. Its catchy melody and infectious rhythm make it a great song to dance to and its message of living in the moment is one that can resonate with audiences of all ages.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, once they had a dance they called the bunny-hop
There used to be a popular dance called the bunny-hop
Now the cats are in a trance, all they wanna do is bop
People are now obsessed with a new dance called the bop
So bop, honey bop, well bop, a-honey bop
Let's dance the bop
Oh bop, honey bop, well don't stop, a-honey bop
Let's keep dancing the bop without stopping
When the band begins to rock and it's rockin' to your blues
When the band starts playing lively music that matches your mood
If you think you blow your top
If you feel like exploding with excitement
Well, put on your rockin' shoes
Get ready to dance and have fun
And bop, honey bop, well bop, a-honey bop
Let's dance the bop
Let's bop, honey bop, don't stop, a-honey bop
Let's keep bopping and dancing all night long
When the night is up and gone, but you still wanna go
When the night is over but you're not ready to stop having fun
Though you see light of dawn, baby tell the band to blow
Even if it's morning, ask the band to keep playing music so you can keep dancing
Well the waltz is for the square and the rhumba is too old
Waltz and rhumba dances are no longer popular
Baby, we're just rockin' let it satisfy your soul
Let's just dance rock and roll, it will make you feel happy
Well, now you've heard the dance, they call the bunny-hop
Now you know about the bunny-hop dance
But the cats are in a trance, all they wanna do is bop
But now everyone is dancing the bop and can't stop
Well bop, honey bop, well bop, a-honey bop
Let's dance the bop
Well bop, honey bop, well don't stop, a-bop-bop-bop
Let's keep bopping and dancing without stopping
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GLENN REEVES, MAE BOREN AXTON, TOMMY DURDEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
WandaWacko
Makes absolutely no sense to me. I'm 53 and only recently "discovered" her. I don't get it. I can't think of a more influential, original, versatile, and truly talented female singer and we rarely hear about her today. Brenda Lee, Connie Francis, Janis Martin - all great, but Wanda was the first, could sing anything, "got" what rock and rockabilly was all about, had awesome guitarists behind her, belted out magical songs like this, and is still going strong. In my opinion, she's the best ever.
bhollyfan hardin
@shoknifeman2 mikado Janis Martin sucked she was/is a terrible singer........
shoknifeman2 mikado
With all due respect to Wanda, Janis Martin was the true rockabilly queen, she wrote her own songs and could rock the electric guitar, Wanda was more live Elvis, got famous, doing other people's songs.
Haru K
My dad made me listen to her since i was a kids saying ' Live up to your name Wanda!' This song is still my favorite such a catchy beat i just dance to!
Daniel Alejandro Alarcón Coya
Me encanta el reverb de la canción, aparte de lo espectacular de la voz de ella
hepkatz1
one of the best from wanda, superb female rockabilly.
TheSmithChannel
great song love this song
WG Games
Deus!!!
O que eu não daria para estar de novo nos anos 50
Michael Myles
nobody sings and swings like wanda
brad trimble
You sure got that right!!!!!