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.
Searchin
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah I been searchin' I been searchin' I been searchin' every which a way
Yeah I been searchin' oh baby searchin' yeah child searchin' every which a way
But now I'm like a north-west mountie you know I'll bring him in some day
(Gonna find him gonna find him)
Now if I have to swim a river you know I will
And if I have to climb a mountain you know I will
Am I gonna find him child you know oh I will
Cause I've been searchin' yeah yeah searchin' yeah baby searchin' every which a way
But I'm like that north-west mountie you know I'll bring him in some day
(Gonna find him gonna find him)
Yeah Sherlock Holmes Sam Spade got nothin' child on me
Segeant Friday Charlie Chinn and Boston Blackie
And no matter where he's hidin' he's gonna hear me a comin'
Gonna walk right down that street just like a bulldog drummin'
I've been searchin' yeah yeah...
(Gonna find him gonna find him gonna find him gonna find him)
The lyrics of "Searchin" by Wanda Jackson express the singer's determination to find the person she is looking for. She repeats the phrase "gonna find him" multiple times throughout the song, emphasizing her unwavering commitment to her search. She says she has been searching "every which a way," suggesting that she is leaving no stone unturned in her quest. She compares herself to a "north-west mountie," a Canadian police officer who patrols remote areas of the country, indicating that she is willing to go to great lengths to find this person.
The singer says she is willing to swim a river or climb a mountain to find this person. She mentions "Blueberry Hill," a reference to the popular song made famous by Fats Domino in 1956, implying that she will search even the most unlikely places. She believes that she will find this person eventually, and nothing will stop her from doing so.
Towards the end of the song, the singer boasts that she is a better detective than famous characters like Sherlock Holmes and Sam Spade. She says that no matter where the person is hiding, they will hear her coming. She compares herself to a "bulldog drummin'," indicating that she is persistent and unstoppable. In conclusion, "Searchin" is a song about determination and persistence in the pursuit of a goal.
Line by Line Meaning
(Gonna find him gonna find him gonna find him gonna find him)
Repeated statement of determination to find the person being searched for
Yeah I been searchin' I been searchin' I been searchin' every which a way
I have searched in every possible place and way
Yeah I been searchin' oh baby searchin' yeah child searchin' every which a way
I have searched extensively and persistently to find him
But now I'm like a north-west mountie you know I'll bring him in some day
I am determined and confident like a mountie in bringing him in someday
Now if I have to swim a river you know I will
I am willing to do anything, like swimming a river, to find him
And if I have to climb a mountain you know I will
I am prepared to do whatever it takes, like climbing a mountain, to find him
I find if he's hidin' up on the Blueberry Hill
It is possible that he is hiding in the Blueberry Hill
Am I gonna find him child you know oh I will
I am certain that I am going to find him, no matter how long it takes
Cause I've been searchin' yeah yeah searchin' yeah baby searchin' every which a way
I have been searching persistently and relentlessly to find him
But I'm like that north-west mountie you know I'll bring him in some day
I am determined and committed to finding him, just like a north-west mountie
Yeah Sherlock Holmes Sam Spade got nothin' child on me
I am a far better detective than legendary detectives like Sherlock Holmes and Sam Spade
Segeant Friday Charlie Chinn and Boston Blackie
These are references to other detectives in popular culture
And no matter where he's hidin' he's gonna hear me a comin'
Even if he is hiding, I will find him and he will know it
Gonna walk right down that street just like a bulldog drummin'
I will walk down the streets with a determined and unyielding attitude, like a bulldog
I've been searchin' yeah yeah...
I have been exploring all possible means to find him and will not give up until I do
(Gonna find him gonna find him gonna find him gonna find him)
Repeated statement of determination to find the person being searched for
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: ROBERT FLYNN, SAMUEL LINDLEY, IRENE ELIZABETH MOORE, CHARLES E. PAXTON, DEWAYNE WARREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Spirit Wolf
The queen of rockabilly 😌
alex arolas garcia
Esta buena canción la cantaron THE COASTERS en el año 1956 y la versiono WANDA JACKSON en el año 1963
Michael Sisk
amazing love love love her
Chance Watkins
Thanks for sharing; Jesus Christ Bless
Nefaisquepasser
Reminds me of Home Alone or am i going crazy ?
shzykh
Wanda Jackson’s voice is very similar to Brenda Lee’s. Brenda Lee is known for doing “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”. That song is playing when Macaulay Culkin has the cardboard cutouts running on a train track around his living room in Home Alone. Check out Brenda Lee’s non-Christmas music. You won’t be disappointed.