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.
I Already Know What I
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's something I've been wantin' all year
I'm gonna get myself a very special present
I'm gonna get myself a million miles from here
There never was much happiness between us
More tears and angry words and never smiles
But now there'll be a lot of things between us and every one of them would be a mile
I already know what I'm getting...
At last I'll be happy on my birthday by getting where your face won't spoil the view
If absence ever makes my heart grow fonder
It would grow fonder of my freedom not of you
I already know what I'm getting...
I'm gonna get myself a million miles from here
The lyrics of "Already Know" by Wanda Jackson tell the story of a person who is unhappy in their current relationship and has decided to leave. They anticipate their upcoming birthday, not for the celebration it will bring, but for the gift they have planned to give themselves - freedom from their unhappy relationship. This person has been wanting to leave for a long time, and they are finally going to do it. The line "I'm gonna get myself a million miles from here" emphasizes just how serious they are about leaving and starting fresh.
The first verse describes the overall unhappiness between the two people in the relationship, stating that there was "never much happiness" and that the interactions between them were mostly negative. The second verse takes a slightly bitter tone as they express that if they ever do end up missing their partner, it will be for their own freedom and independence, not for the relationship itself. The song ends with the repeated refrain of "I already know what I'm getting" reaffirming the person's determination to leave and start anew.
Line by Line Meaning
I already know what I'm getting for my birthday
I am aware of what my birthday present is going to be.
It's something I've been wantin' all year
I have been desiring it throughout the year.
I'm gonna get myself a very special present
I will be gifting myself a unique gift.
I'm gonna get myself a million miles from here
I intend to move far away, as far as a million miles from this place.
There never was much happiness between us
We never experienced much joy in our relationship.
More tears and angry words and never smiles
Our relationship was characterized by more negative emotions than positive ones.
But now there'll be a lot of things between us and every one of them would be a mile
I plan to put a lot of distance between us by moving far away.
At last I'll be happy on my birthday by getting where your face won't spoil the view
My happiness on my birthday will be attained by leaving a situation where your presence ruins the experience.
If absence ever makes my heart grow fonder
If distance ever causes me to have stronger feelings for someone,
It would grow fonder of my freedom not of you
It would be for my freedom, not for you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Many Pearls
Finally got to hear Wanda's hit version of this song!! I think it was her last major country hit in 1971. Two years before Liz Anderson had it on one of her albums - that version is also on youtube.
alex arolas garcia
Esta buena canción la canto WANDA JACKSON en el año 1972