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.
People Gotta Be Loving
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Yvonne Devaney)
« © '71 Party Time Music »
People gotta be loving people gotta be free
People gotta live together in peace harmony
Man can climb a mountain sail an ocean blue
Man can do about anything he sets his mind to do
But man's got a long long way to go when it comes to love
People gotta be loving people gotta be free...
In this world of trouble this world with love and hate
There's always room for little more love and a whole lot less of fate
People gotta get together this evil to erase
The world all together was made for good and common race
People gotta be loving people gotta be free...
(People gotta be loving people gotta be loving
People gotta be loving people gotta be free
People gotta live together in peace harmony)
Yeah listen people (people gotta be loving)
Well I'm saying (people gotta be free)
Live together (people gotta be loving) in peace harmony
The lyrics of Wanda Jackson's song "People Gotta Be Loving" express a call for unity and understanding among human beings, as well as a critique of the lack of love in the world. The song suggests that even though humans are capable of great achievements, they still have a long way to go when it comes to love. The lyrics mention that people need to live together in peace and harmony, erase evil, and work for the common good. There seems to be an awareness of the problems and conflicts of the world, but the emphasis is on the possibility of positive change through love and togetherness.
The song's lyrics reflect a message of hope and positivity, calling for individuals to take steps towards creating a better world through compassion, empathy, and understanding. The idea that people are capable of extraordinary things is woven throughout the song, but it is tempered with the reality that love is the ultimate goal of human achievement. The repetition of the refrain "people gotta be loving" emphasizes this central message and makes it clear that this is not only a desire, but a necessity.
Overall, the song is a powerful message of unity and hope, promoting the universal values of love and kindness. It offers a reminder that even in difficult times, there is always the possibility of coming together and spreading love instead of hate.
Line by Line Meaning
People gotta be loving people gotta be free
Human beings must express kindness towards each other and allow each other to exercise liberty.
People gotta live together in peace harmony
People must coexist peacefully and harmoniously with each other.
Man can climb a mountain sail an ocean blue
Through human effort, people can attain great achievements such as scaling mountains and traversing vast waters.
Man can do about anything he sets his mind to do
The human mind has unlimited potential and people can accomplish great things with determination.
Man can send an orchid to the moon above
Human beings can transport objects, even delicate ones like orchids, to places beyond Earth.
But man's got a long long way to go when it comes to love
Despite all these achievements, humankind has a lot of progress to make in terms of having love and compassion for others.
In this world of trouble this world with love and hate
The world is filled with problems and difficulties, as well as love and animosity.
There's always room for little more love and a whole lot less of fate
The world could benefit from more love and less reliance on destiny.
People gotta get together this evil to erase
Human beings must unite and eliminate evil from the world.
The world all together was made for good and common race
The world was created for the benefit of all humanity and to serve as a common purpose.
Yeah listen people (people gotta be loving)
Attention people, it is necessary to emphasize that we need to love one another.
Well I'm saying (people gotta be free)
I am expressing that it is important for individuals to possess freedom.
Live together (people gotta be loving) in peace harmony
In addition to love, people must reside together peacefully and harmoniously.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind