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.
Pushover
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ya even ya even had the nerve to make a bet a yes you did
That I, I would give in all of my love you would win
But you haven't, you haven't won it yet
You took me for a pushover
Oh, you thought I was a push over
Whoa, I'm not a push over
All of the girls think you're fine
They even call ya Romeo
Ya got 'em, yeah, you got 'em runnin' to and fro
Yes ya have
But I don't want a one night thrill
I want a love that's for real
And I can tell by your line, yours is not the lasting kind
You took me for a push over
Oh, you thought I was a push over
Whoa, I'm not a push over
You thought that you could change my mind
Your temptin' lips (mmm hmm) your wavy hair (oh yeah)
Your pretty eyes with that (ahh) come hither stare
It makes me weak and I, I start to bend
And then I stop and think again
No (no), no (no), no don't let yourself go
I hate to spoil your reputation
I want true love not an imitation
And I'm hip to every word in your conversation
Who took me for a push over
Whoa, I'm not a push over
Whoa, you thought I was a push over
Whoa, you can't (push me over)
Nobody is gonna (push me over)
Oh, you're not man enough to (push me over)
Everybody thought you was gonna (push me over)
In Wanda Jackson's song Pushover, she sings about a boy who thinks he can easily win her over, but she is not falling for his tricks. From the very beginning, he places a bet on her, thinking that he can easily win her love. However, she is not that kind of girl, and she is not a pushover. She is not easily swayed by his charming words, and she is not interested in just a one night thrill. She wants something real, not just an imitation of love.
Throughout the song, Jackson lists all the things that are supposedly meant to attract her to this boy - his tempting lips, wavy hair and pretty eyes - but she is able to resist all of it. She is well aware of his reputation as a ladies' man and is not interested in adding to that. She values true love and will not settle for anything less. She is confident in herself and knows that no one can push her over.
The song's lyrics were written by Gloria Shayne and Noel Regney, who also wrote the famous Christmas song "Do You Hear What I Hear". "Pushover" was released in 1961 and was one of Jackson's most successful hits, reaching number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song's catchy melody and relatable lyrics made it popular among young women, who saw Jackson as a role model for standing up for themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
So you told all the boys that you were gonna take me out
You boasted to your friends about your plans to take me out
Ya even ya even had the nerve to make a bet a yes you did
You even had the audacity to place a bet that you could win my love
That I, I would give in all of my love you would win
You thought you could win my love by manipulating me into giving in to you
But you haven't, you haven't won it yet
Your attempts to win my love have been unsuccessful so far
You took me for a pushover
You underestimated me and thought I was an easy target
Oh, you thought I was a push over
You believed I was gullible and easily fooled
Whoa, I'm not a push over
I am not easily tricked or swayed
You thought my love was easy to get
You assumed that my love was easily attainable
All of the girls think you're fine
You are attractive to all the girls
They even call ya Romeo
They compare you to the romantic hero Romeo
Ya got 'em, yeah, you got 'em runnin' to and fro
You have them chasing after you
But I don't want a one night thrill
I am not interested in a short-lived fling
I want a love that's for real
I am looking for a genuine love
And I can tell by your line, yours is not the lasting kind
From the way you talk, I can tell that you are not interested in a lasting relationship
Whoa, you thought I was a push over
You underestimated me
You thought that you could change my mind
You believed you could convince me to change my stance
Your temptin' lips (mmm hmm) your wavy hair (oh yeah)
Your physical attributes are tempting
Your pretty eyes with that (ahh) come hither stare
Your attractive eyes and seductive stare
It makes me weak and I, I start to bend
Your charm weakens me and I start to reconsider
And then I stop and think again
But then I regain my composure and rethink the situation
I want true love not an imitation
I want a genuine relationship, not a fake one
And I'm hip to every word in your conversation
I am familiar with all of the tactics you use in your conversations
You can't (push me over)
You are not capable of manipulating or deceiving me
Nobody is gonna (push me over)
No one can manipulate or trick me
Oh, you're not man enough to (push me over)
You don't have the strength or ability to deceive me
Everybody thought you was gonna (push me over)
Everyone expected you to deceive me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROQUEL DAVIS, TONY CLARKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind