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.
Little Charm Bracelet
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little charm bracelet means so much to me
Never was completed, it now lay in the box
Little charm bracelet tells where our story stopped.
The first charm you gave was a heart of gold
With it came all your love for me to always hold
I'll always remember with tears in my eyes
Remember when you went away the gold phone you gave
With this you promised you'd call me every day
But someone must have stepped in and stole your love from me
I'll take the bracelet from my arm, it will never be complete.
Little charm bracelet so lovely to see
Little charm bracelet means so much to me
Never was completed, it now lay in the box
Little charm bracelet tells where our story stopped...
The song "Little Charm Bracelet” by Wanda Jackson is a sentimental ballad that tells the story of a failed relationship through the metaphor of an unfinished charm bracelet. The charm bracelet, which was once so treasured, is now incomplete and locked away in a box, serving only as a reminder of what could have been. Each charm represents a different moment or promise in the relationship, and as the singer recounts their story, it becomes clear that the relationship ultimately fell apart due to infidelity on the part of her partner.
The first charm that was given was a heart of gold, a symbol of the partner's love that the singer cherished and held close. However, as time went on, the relationship began to unravel. The gold phone charm, a promise of daily communication, served only as a temporary solution before the partner’s attention shifted elsewhere. The final charm, the key that locked their hearts together, ultimately failed to keep them bound.
The lyrics of "Little Charm Bracelet" are poignant and relatable, as many people may have mementos from past relationships that they can no longer bear to look at. The charm bracelet serves as a tangible symbol of lost love, a reminder of a time when things were good, but ultimately fell apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Little charm bracelet so lovely to see
The charm bracelet is a beautiful sight to behold.
Little charm bracelet means so much to me
The bracelet holds great sentimental value for me.
Never was completed, it now lay in the box
The bracelet was never fully assembled and remains unused.
Little charm bracelet tells where our story stopped.
The abandoned bracelet marks the end of our love story.
The first charm you gave was a heart of gold
You first showed me your love with a golden heart charm.
With it came all your love for me to always hold
The charm symbolized the love you would always have for me.
I'll always remember with tears in my eyes
I recall with sadness the night you gave me the key charm.
The night you gave the little key that locked our hearts so tight.
You gave me a key charm to symbolize the depth of our love and commitment.
Remember when you went away the gold phone you gave
I recall the gold phone charm you gave me before leaving.
With this you promised you'd call me every day
The charm represented your promise to maintain contact while apart.
But someone must have stepped in and stole your love from me
Your affections were stolen by someone else.
I'll take the bracelet from my arm, it will never be complete.
I removed the bracelet realizing that it would never be finished and serve as a reminder of our unfinished story.
Contributed by Aiden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.