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.
Mystery Train
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Train arrive, sixteen coaches long
Well that long black train got my baby and gone
Train train, comin' 'round, 'round the bend
Train train, comin' 'round the bend
Well it took my baby, but it never will again (no, not again)
Train train, comin' down, down the line
Train train, comin' down the line
Well it's bringin' my baby, 'cause she's mine all, all mine
(She's mine, all, all mine)
Wanda Jackson's song Mystery Train is a classic example of a train song. It describes a train, 16 coaches long that takes away the singer's lover. The lyrics are simple but vivid, conjuring the image of a train in the listener's mind. The regular repetition of the words "train train" and "down the line" emphasize the movement of the train, while the use of the word "mine" multiple times suggests the singer's possessiveness towards her lover.
The train is portrayed as a powerful force that takes away what the singer loves. The repetition of the phrase "train train" also suggests a sense of inevitability - the train will come whether the singer likes it or not. However, there is a sense of hope at the end of the song when the singer says the train is bringing her baby back to her. The train, which once took away her lover, is now bringing her back to the singer's loving embrace.
Line by Line Meaning
Train arrive, sixteen coaches long
A long train, made up of sixteen coaches, has arrived
Train train, comin' 'round, 'round the bend
A train is approaching as it navigates around a bend in the track
Well it took my baby, but it never will again (no, not again)
The train took the singer's loved one, but they will never be taken away again
Train train, comin' down, down the line
Another train is approaching down the track
Well it's bringin' my baby, 'cause she's mine all, all mine
This train is bringing the singer's loved one back because she belongs to the singer
Well that long black train got my baby and gone
The long black train took the singer's loved one and left
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HERMAN PARKER JR., SAM PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
webbjr37
Always loved Wanda's voice, and looksThanks
123 the boy
it sounds great. elvis would have been proud of you..
LUCINDA BAKER
Wow...I didn't think I'd like it but I was wrong!