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.
The Half That's Mine
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't choose between us you can't make up your mind
You live in two worlds one is hers and one is mine
If I can't have you completely she can have the half that's mine
I wonder if she knew that you are not free
Would she be willing to share half of you with me
You say that you love me and that you will let her go
That our home and children are what you need so
I won't live with only half she can have the half that's mine
I won't live with only half she can have the half that's mine
In Wanda Jackson's Half That's Mine, the singer is expressing her frustration and heartbreak over being in a relationship with a man who can't choose between her and another woman. She sings about how he divides his time between them, living in two worlds, one with her and one with the other woman. Despite his assurances of love and promises to let the other woman go, the singer is not convinced and refuses to settle for only half of his love. She tells the man that if she can't have him completely, the other woman can have the half that's hers.
The lyrics speak to the difficult emotional toll of being in a love triangle and the pain of feeling like you are not someone's first choice. The singer's defiance in choosing to not settle for less than full love is empowering and relatable. The song's melody is also upbeat, almost cheerful, creating a striking contrast to the heart-wrenching lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
You keep me broken hearted you with her half of the time
You cause me pain by spending half of your time with her.
You can't choose between us you can't make up your mind
You are unable to decide who you want to be with.
You live in two worlds one is hers and one is mine
You have split your life between two people.
If I can't have you completely she can have the half that's mine
If I can't have your full love and attention, she can have the part of you that belongs to me.
I wonder if she knew that you are not free
I am curious if she is aware that you are not truly available.
Would she be willing to share half of you with me
I wonder if she would be okay with you splitting your time between us.
You say that you love me and that you will let her go
You claim that you love me and are willing to end it with her.
That our home and children are what you need so
You say that settling down with me and raising a family is what you truly want.
But until you convence me you'll be mine all of the time
However, I won't believe you until you prove that you will be completely mine.
I won't live with only half she can have the half that's mine
I refuse to settle for half of your love and attention- if I can't have your whole self, she can have the part that belongs to me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Glenn Johnson
Glenn Johnson One of the best country music female singers.Love her voice,style and YODELLING!
mrblindfreddy9999
wanda's yodelling is as good as anyone's cheers Dave
alex arolas garcia
Esta bonita canción la canto WANDA JACKSON en el año 1967