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.
Tryin' To Get To You
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even through the valleys, too
I've been traveling night and day
I've been running all the way
Ever since I read your letter
Where you said you loved me true
I've been traveling night and day
I've been running all the way
baby, trying to get to you
When I read your loving letter
Then my heart began to sing
There were many miles between us,
But they didn't mean a thing.
I just had to reach you, baby,
In spite of all that I've been through.
I kept traveling night and day,
I kept running all the way,
Baby, trying to get to you.
Well if I had to do it over
That's exactly what I'd do,
I would travel night and day,
And I'd still run all the way,
Baby, trying to get to you.
Well, there's nothing that could hold me
Or that could keep me away from you
When your loving letter told me
That you really loved me true
Lord above me knows I love you
It was He who brought me through,
When my way was dark as night,
He would shine His brightest light,
When I was trying to get to you.
The song "Tryin' to Get to You" by Wanda Jackson is a love song about a person's journey to reach their beloved. The lyrics start with the singer explaining how they have been traveling over mountains and even through valleys, trying to reach their destination. They have been running and traveling day and night, all in an effort to get to the one they love.
The lyrics make it clear that the person was inspired to make this journey after receiving a letter from their loved one, where the other person professes their true love. Upon reading the letter, the singer's heart began to sing, and they were filled with the desire to reach their beloved. Even though there were many miles between them, the singer was determined to reach their love and nothing could keep them away from their destination.
The final verse of the song acknowledges a higher power that helped the singer to reach their destination. In the darkest moments, when the way seemed uncertain, the Lord above shone His brightest light and helped the singer along the way. The song ends on a positive note with the singer expressing their love for their partner and thanking the Lord for helping them achieve their goal.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been traveling over mountains
I've been traveling over mountains to reach you
Even through the valleys, too
I've also been traveling through valleys to reach you
I've been traveling night and day
I've been traveling both day and night to reach you
I've been running all the way
I've also been running all the way to reach you
Baby, trying to get to you.
I'm doing all of this to get to you, baby.
Ever since I read your letter
Ever since I read your letter that expressed your true love for me
Where you said you loved me true
In which you told me that you truly love me
When I read your loving letter
Upon reading your loving letter
Then my heart began to sing
My heart felt fully alive and joyful
There were many miles between us,
Even though there were many miles between us
But they didn't mean a thing.
It didn't matter as much since your love was real.
I just had to reach you, baby,
I was determined to reach you, baby,
In spite of all that I've been through.
Even though there were hardships in my path.
I kept traveling night and day,
I continued traveling both day and night
I kept running all the way,
I also kept running all the way
Baby, trying to get to you.
I'm still trying to get to you, baby.
Well if I had to do it over
If I had to do it all over again
That's exactly what I'd do,
I would do the same thing all over again
I would travel night and day,
I would still travel both day and night
And I'd still run all the way,
I would still run all the way
Baby, trying to get to you.
Again, all for the sake of getting to you, baby.
Well, there's nothing that could hold me
Nothing can hold me back
Or that could keep me away from you
Or stop me from reaching you
When your loving letter told me
When your loving letter informed me
That you really loved me true
That you indeed have a deep love for me.
Lord above me knows I love you
God above knows how much I love you
It was He who brought me through,
He was responsible for guiding me through this journey
When my way was dark as night,
During my darkest moments,
He would shine His brightest light,
God would always provide a glimmer of hope,
When I was trying to get to you.
All while I was attempting to reach you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES SINGLETON, ROSE MARIE MCCOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind