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 Last Letter
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What have I done that's made you so different and cold
Sometimes I wonder if you'll be contented again
Will you be happy when you are withered and old
I cannot offer you diamonds or mansions so fine
I cannot offer you clothes that your young body crave
But if you'll say that forever that you will be mine
When you are weary and tired of another one's gold
When you are lonely, remember this letter, my own
Don't try to answer, though I've suffered anguish untold
If you don't love me, I wish you would leave me alone
While I am writing this letter I think of the past
And of the promises that you are breaking so free
But soon I'll bid my farewells to this whole world at last
I will be gone when you read this last letter from me
The Last Letter by Wanda Jackson is a heartbreaking song that speaks of unrequited love and the pain of rejection. The lyrics are addressed to a person who seems to have lost all affection for the singer, treating her as if she were only a friend. She wonders what she did to make them so distant and cold towards her. The singer observes that her love interest seems more interested in material possessions, but if they agree to be together, she promises to spare them the heartaches and sorrows that come with love.
As the song progresses, the singer seems to come to terms with the reality of the situation. She realizes that her love interest may never respond to her feelings, and that they may end up with someone else. She urges them to remember her when they tire of their current partner and feel lonely. She ends the song by bidding farewell to the world, implying that she may take her life, leaving her love interest to read her last letter.
Line by Line Meaning
Why must you treat me as if I were only a friend
Why do you treat me like I don't matter to you anymore?
What have I done that's made you so different and cold
What did I do wrong to make you so distant and unkind?
Sometimes I wonder if you'll be contented again
I wonder if you'll ever be truly happy again.
Will you be happy when you are withered and old
Will you be satisfied when you're old and alone?
I cannot offer you diamonds or mansions so fine
I may not have wealth to offer you, but I offer my love.
I cannot offer you clothes that your young body crave
I don't have fashion to offer, but I have loyalty and affection.
But if you'll say that forever that you will be mine
If you promise to stay with me forever, imagine the heartache you'll avoid.
Think of the heartaches the tears and the sorrow you'll save
Consider the pain and suffering you'll avoid if you commit to me.
When you are weary and tired of another one's gold
When you're feeling tired of someone else's wealth and status,
When you are lonely remember this letter my own
Remember that I always cared about you, even when we were apart.
Don't try to answer though I've suffered anguish untold
Don't feel obligated to respond, even if it deeply hurts me.
If you don't love me I wish you would leave me alone
If you don't love me, I'd rather you not pretend and just let me go.
While I am writing this letter I think of the past
As I write this, I can't help but think about our history together.
And of the promises that you are breaking so free
It's painful to think of the promises you've broken and forgotten.
But soon I'll bid my farewells to this whole world at last
But soon I'll say goodbye to this world forever.
I will be gone when you read this last letter from me
You'll never see me again after reading this final letter.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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