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 Saw the Light
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
I wandered so aimless, my heart filled with sin
I wouldn't let my dear Savior in
Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night
I saw the light, I saw the light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
Just like a blind man I wandered alone
Worries and fears, I claimed for my own
Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
I saw the light, I saw the light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
I was a fool to wander and stray
Straight is the gate and narrow the way
Now I have traded the wrong for the right
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
I saw the light, I saw the light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
The lyrics of Wanda Jackson's "I Saw the Light" is a narrative of a sinful person's encounter with Jesus Christ and how it led to a transformation in their life. The first stanza of the song presents a clear contrast between the darkness that once surrounded the person and the newfound joy and light they have experienced after encountering Jesus Christ. This highlights the notion that faith in Christ can lift the burden of sorrow and darkness from one's life, providing comfort and happiness.
The second stanza unpacks the singer's experience of sin and the sense of isolation they felt as a result of their actions. They refused to accept help from Christ, but eventually, like a stranger in the night, he entered their life and changed it forever. The comparison of Christ to a light or someone who gives sight back to the blind adds depth to the metaphor of the song.
In the final stanza of the song, the singer admits to their foolishness, the realization that their path was wrong, and the acknowledgment that the way to salvation is narrow and difficult. The singer traded the wrong path for the right, and this transformation is celebrated in the final repetition of the song's refrain. Overall, the song emphasizes the importance of faith and redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw the light, I saw the light
I found salvation and enlightenment
No more darkness, no more night
No more uncertainty or fear, life is clear and bright
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
A life of joy and contentment, free from pain and strife
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
Gratitude and praise for the guiding light of God
I wandered so aimless, my heart filled with sin
Lost in sin and wandering without purpose
I wouldn't let my dear Savior in
Refused to accept the grace and love of Jesus
Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night
Jesus arrived unannounced and unexpected to provide salvation
Just like a blind man I wandered alone
Lost and unaware of the path to salvation
Worries and fears, I claimed for my own
Suffering and pain were self-inflicted by claiming anxiety and fear
Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight
Through faith and grace, the blind man was healed and able to see
I was a fool to wander and stray
Realizing the previous actions of foolishness and mistakes in the past
Straight is the gate and narrow the way
The path to salvation is not wide, but strictly defined and narrow
Now I have traded the wrong for the right
Turning away from wrong choices and embracing the righteous path
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hank Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lemon Birdo
This song will forever snatch my wig. God bless whoever reads this comment!
Cherie Morris-Tafatu
Love these old songs, Praise the Lord I saw the Light, a fool to wander now I have seen the light!👏🙏💖! Beautiful
Amongjankhiungru Amongjankhiungru
Waoo love it
Krosakhol Pucho
I saw the ligh !!! The meaning is so good
Krosakhol Pucho
Sorry I was trying to say light.
Philipp
Im 28 but this musik is.... so legendäry
John
May the Lord bless you
johncharles4
What will we say when we stand before the throne of judgement.God loves us and Jesus died for us to be forgiven. Please accept Jesus as your Savior.