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.
Just Queen for a Day
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Those sweet tender love words you say
And help me forget that tomorrow you'll leave
And I'm only your queen for a day.
Queen for a day, queen for a day
You'll love me and leave me, you're funny that way
But darling, I love you and each night I pray
No child in the nursery, no ring on my hand
For love is a game that you play
But I'll hold you darling, as long as I can
Yes, I'll be your queen for a day.
Queen for a day, queen for a day
You'll love me and leave me, you're funny that way
But darling, I love you and each night I pray
I won't be just your queen for a day...
The song "Just a Queen for a Day" by Wanda Jackson is a melancholic ballad about a woman who knows her lover is leaving her, but still stays with him. She is ready to be nothing but his queen for a day and receive the sweet tender love she desires from him. Despite the fact that he will leave her the next day, she is still holding on to him while he is giving her love and affection. She desires to forget the imminent separation and just cherish the moment of togetherness. The woman is aware of the fact that he is not interested in a committed relationship with her and she might be left alone, without a ring on her hand and without children, as love is just a game for him. Nevertheless, she holds on to him for as long as she can.
The lyrics of the song capture the emotions of a woman in a situation where she is caught up in the moment of love, but knows that it is fleeting. The song speaks to the struggles that many people face in relationships when they know that they will not get what they truly desire, but still hold on to the little hope that remains. It depicts the disappointment and heartbreak when love is only temporary, and one is left alone to pick up the pieces.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold me my darling, make me believe
Embrace me, my beloved, with passion and conviction
Those sweet tender love words you say
The romantic expressions you speak that are gentle and kind
And help me forget that tomorrow you'll leave
Ease my mind of the knowledge that you will depart tomorrow
And I'm only your queen for a day.
I am but a temporary ruler of your heart for a brief moment
No child in the nursery, no ring on my hand
I am without children to nurture or a wedding band
For love is a game that you play
Romance is a competition or challenge that you engage in
But I'll hold you darling, as long as I can
Nevertheless, I will embrace you, dearest, while I am able
Yes, I'll be your queen for a day.
Indeed, I will be your temporary sovereign for a fleeting duration
Queen for a day, queen for a day
Ruler for a moment, ruler for a moment
You'll love me and leave me, you're funny that way
You will show affection and then depart, in a humorous fashion
But darling, I love you and each night I pray
Yet, beloved, I adore you, and every evening I supplicate
I won't be just your queen for a day.
I will not be merely a fleeting monarch of your heart.
Contributed by Miles V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mutleybird
Rolly Bundock on bass for all the tunes on this session. That typo seems to appear everywhere.
Ernest t Morris
This perfect to goodforsheeple