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.
One Hundred Children
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One hundred children
Brave boys and girls
They come from nations all over the world
One hundred children marching along
One hundred children singing their song
Don't blow up the world, don't kill all the flowers
Leave us pure water and forest uncut
Think of tomorrow leave something for us
Your God may be dead but ours is alive
We think without him we cannot survive
Punish the bad men praise all the good
Talk to your neighbors about brotherhood
[Chorus]
This is the song I was singing one night
While I was thinking of wrong and of right
I thought of good things that still could be done
The marchers now number one hundred and one
[Chorus: x 2]
The song "One Hundred Children" by Wanda Jackson is a beautiful appeal from children to the adults of the world to stop destroying the planet and to think of the future generation. The chorus emphasizes the importance of these children who come from various nations, marching together and singing with a hopeful and determined spirit. The song begins with the children's plea to not blow up the world and to not kill all the flowers. They ask for pure water and the protection of the forests, pleading to leave something for the coming generations.
The second verse speaks of the difference in beliefs among people and how everyone's religious beliefs should be respected. The children speak of the importance of a just and peaceful world where good is rewarded and bad is punished. They ask the adults to talk to their neighbors about brotherhood and to work towards a better future.
The last verse brings a message of hope, with the thought that there are still good things that can be done to protect the world for the future generations. The marchers are now one hundred and one, signifying that more and more children have joined the cause.
Overall, the song is a powerful and emotional call for adults to take responsibility and protect the planet for the sake of the children and future generations.
Line by Line Meaning
One hundred children
There are one hundred children, brave boys and girls.
Brave boys and girls
The children are brave and courageous.
They come from nations all over the world
The children come from various countries from around the world.
One hundred children marching along
The one hundred children are marching along.
One hundred children singing their song
The one hundred children are singing their song.
Don't blow up the world, don't kill all the flowers
Please do not destroy the world and harm the nature around us.
Today this is your world, tomorrow it's ours
Although we are young, we will inherit the world someday and we would like to live in a safe and clean environment.
Leave us pure water and forest uncut
Please leave us with clean water and forests that are not destroyed or cut down.
Think of tomorrow leave something for us
Please think about the future and leave something for us to enjoy and cherish.
Your God may be dead but ours is alive
Even though people may have different religious beliefs, we believe in a God who is alive and who guides us.
We think without him we cannot survive
We believe that we need God in our lives to survive and to have hope for the future.
Punish the bad men praise all the good
It is important to punish those who do bad things, but also praise those who do good things.
Talk to your neighbors about brotherhood
It is important to talk to our neighbors and others about creating a sense of brotherhood among all people.
This is the song I was singing one night
The singer is referring to a song they were singing one night.
While I was thinking of wrong and of right
The song was inspired by the singer's thoughts on what is right and wrong in the world.
I thought of good things that still could be done
The artist was thinking about positive actions that could still be taken to make the world a better place.
The marchers now number one hundred and one
The group of children marching together now numbers one hundred and one.
Chorus: x 2
The chorus is repeated two times throughout the song.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOM T. HALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rebecca McMahan
Man...What could she not sing???? What a Voice!!!!!
alex arolas garcia
Esta buena canción la compuso TOM T. HALL y la canto en el año 1970 y la versiono WANDA JACKSON en el año 1972