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 Fall To Pieces
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I fall to pieces each time I see you again
I fall to pieces how can I be just your friend
(You want me to act like we've never kissed)
You want me to forget pretend we've never met
Oh I've tried and I've tried but I haven't yet you walk by and I fall to pieces
I fall to pieces each time someone speaks your name
(You want me to find someone else to love)
Someone who'll love me too the way you used to do
But each time I go out with someone new you walk by and I fall to pieces
You walk by and I fall to pieces
In Wanda Jackson's song, I Fall To Pieces, the singer expresses her heartbreak over a failed relationship. Upon seeing her former lover, she falls apart, hence the phrase "I fall to pieces." The singer finds it difficult to remain friends, even after their romantic relationship has ended. Additionally, she grapples with moving on and finding someone else to love. Despite numerous attempts, she is unable to forget about her past lover, and each time she sees him, she is reminded of the pain she feels.
The lyrics of the song paint a picture of a person struggling with a broken heart and trying to move on from a failed relationship. The song also shows how difficult it is for someone to go back to being just friends after a romantic relationship has ended. The line "time only adds to the flame" speaks to the pain and the intensity of the emotion that comes with heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
You walk by and I fall to pieces
Whenever I see you, I become emotionally unhinged and helpless
I fall to pieces each time I see you again
Seeing you causes me to fall apart emotionally and mentally every time
I fall to pieces how can I be just your friend
It is impossible for me to just be your friend because of the intensity of my feelings for you
You want me to forget pretend we've never met
You want me to act as if I've never known you, but it's hard for me to forget
Oh I've tried and I've tried but I haven't yet you walk by and I fall to pieces
Even though I try hard to forget you, seeing you makes it difficult for me to move on
I fall to pieces each time someone speaks your name
Just hearing your name makes me emotionally unstable and distressed
I fall to pieces time only adds to the flame
As time goes by, my feelings for you only intensify and become more impassioned
Someone who'll love me too the way you used to do
I want to find someone who will love me like you did in the past
But each time I go out with someone new you walk by and I fall to pieces
Even when I try to move on and date someone new, just seeing you makes me emotionally unstable again
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, LEGACY OF HARLAN PERRY HOWARD, LLC
Written by: Hank Cochran, Harlan Howard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dave Witter
What pleasure to hear her beautiful voice that goes perfectly with the well done background accompaniment. Thank You for the high quality posting.
Roger Dee
If I had never heard Patsy Cline before, I'd say that's the best version I've listened to. But Patsy Cline just can't be beaten. Wanda is a good second.
Kodi James
Darin C I agree...this would have been a 'great' song for Connie.
Roger Dee
I'll have a listen to it. Don't know her well. Thanks. Strange, you know Darin. You posted this on Oct.30 2015. I just received it today, May 20, 2016. Where the hell has it been. Spooky eh?
Darin C
+Roger “Artful Dodger” Dee ...I don't know Roger...I think if Connie Smith had ever song this song with her voice it would have been another great hit for her as well.
Isrek1
+Roger “Artful Dodger” Dee : You are absolutely right. Patsy Cline is on another dimension. Just can't be beat.
nitropost
+Roger “Artful Dodger” Dee The song is so over the top by itself, of course Patsy owns it but Wanda cuts it good and Linda Ronstadt does it so personnaly.
elamite66
Wanda did a great rendition of I Fall To Pieces but I got to say no one can top Patsy's original
loverofcountry506070
It has been my observation that the artist you first hear sing a song that you like, will be the one you always believe is the best singer of that song. Patsy and Wanda are both as good as it gets.
Michael Wolff
I have to respectfully disagree.... there are many songs that I heard first that I do not like as much as others that I heard later. For example: I heard, "One Last Kiss" first in the movie, Bye Bye Birdie, however, I liked, Bobby Vee's version better and then I heard, Billy Crash Craddock's version and that became my favourite by far.... There are other times I like the first song, such as this one, here; I think Patsy did it better, however, Wanda is a very close second, as far as I am concerned. Not meaning to argumentative; I was just reading the posts here and thought I would share my two cents worth... take care and be well...