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.
Memphis Tennessee
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Help me find the party try to get in touch with me
She could not leave her number but I know who placed the call
Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall
Long distance information get in touch with my Marie
She's the only one who's called me here from Memphis Tennessee
Her home is on the southside high up on a ridge
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge
Last time I saw Marie she was waving me goodbye
Hurry home drops on her cheeks that trickled from her eyes
We were torn apart because her daddy did not agree
Tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee
Long distance operator more than this I cannot add
Only that I miss her and all the fun we had
Marie is only six years old so information please
Try to get me through to her in Memphis Tennessee
The lyrics to Wanda Jackson's song "Memphis Tennessee" tell the story of a man desperately trying to get in touch with a woman named Marie who resides in Memphis, Tennessee. He uses the services of a long-distance operator to locate her and attempts to connect with her through various means such as leaving a message with his uncle and hoping she will see it. Interestingly, the song is not just about the search for this woman but also reveals a bit about the singer's personal life. We learn that he had a happy home with Marie but was torn apart from her due to her father's disapproval.
The line "Her home is on the southside high up on a ridge, Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge" gives us a sense of the setting, as we can picture Marie's home overlooking the Mississippi River. The use of the long-distance operator also adds a layer of nostalgia and timelessness to the song, reminding us of an era before instant communication was possible.
Overall, the song is a heartfelt plea from a man hoping to reconnect with a lost love despite the obstacles in his way. It captures the longing and desperation of someone trying to get in touch with someone they care for deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
Long distance information give me Memphis Tennessee
Asking for a telephone operator's assistance to connect the call to Memphis, Tennessee.
Help me find the party try to get in touch with me
Requesting the operator to help locate a person trying to reach her.
She could not leave her number but I know who placed the call
The person trying to reach her did not leave a phone number, but she knows who called because her uncle wrote the message on the wall.
Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall
Her uncle took the message and wrote it on the wall for her when he couldn't reach her over the phone.
Long distance information get in touch with my Marie
Asking the operator to connect the call to her friend Marie in Memphis.
She's the only one who's called me here from Memphis Tennessee
Marie is the only person from Memphis who called her before.
Her home is on the southside high up on a ridge
Marie's house is located on the high southern side near a ridge.
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge
Her home is located very close to the Mississippi Bridge, only half a mile away.
[ ac.guitar ]
An instrumental break in the song.
Last time I saw Marie she was waving me goodbye
The last time she saw Marie, she was saying goodbye to her.
Hurry home drops on her cheeks that trickled from her eyes
Tears trickled down Marie's cheeks when she said goodbye and wished her a quick return home.
We were torn apart because her daddy did not agree
Wanda and Marie were separated because Marie's father disagreed with their relationship or situation.
Tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee
Their happy home in Memphis was torn apart due to some conflict, possibly caused by Marie's father, causing them to be separated.
Long distance operator more than this I cannot add
The operator cannot provide any more information than what she has already given.
Only that I miss her and all the fun we had
Wanda only wants the operator to know how much she misses Marie and the good time they had together.
Marie is only six years old so information please
Clarifying that Marie is only six years old and requesting the operator to provide any additional information if possible.
Try to get me through to her in Memphis Tennessee
Asking the operator to try her best to connect her to Marie in Memphis.
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
alex arolas garcia
Esta buena canción la compuso en 1958 CHUCK BERRY y la canto en el año 1959 y la versiono WANDA JACKSON en el año 1968
Frank Latona
Why wasn't anyone able to convince not to release this