Wanda Jackson (born Wanda Lavonne Jackson, October 20, 1937 in Maud, Oklaho… Read Full Bio ↴Wanda Jackson (born Wanda Lavonne Jackson, October 20, 1937 in Maud, Oklahoma) is an American rock and roll singer. Having made her debut recordings at the age of nineteen, she became one of the first popular female rock and roll singers in history and as a result, a pioneering and influential figure in female musicianship. She is known as the "Queen (or First Lady) of Rockabilly."

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.

Tuck Away My Lonesome Blues
Wanda Jackson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Yodel)
I'm always blue, feeling so blue
I wish, I had someone I knew
Just to help me tuck away my blues
Lonesome blues
So won't you be that someone
To help me lose the blues

I really need someone to love me, someone to kiss
Someone to scold me, someone to miss
So help me tuck away my lonesome blues
(Yodel)

I really need someone to love me, someone to kiss
Someone to scold me, someone to miss

So help me tuck away my lonesome blues
(Yodel)

Overall Meaning

Wanda Jackson's song "Tuck Away My Lonesome Blues," with its yodeling interludes, is a classic country and western tune that deals with themes of loneliness and longing for a partner. The lyrics are quite straightforward, with the singer expressing their desire for someone to help them "tuck away" their lonesome blues by being a companion who can offer love, affection, and attention. The repeated refrain of "someone to love me, someone to kiss, someone to scold me, someone to miss" underscores this message, highlighting the range of emotional needs that the singer hopes to have fulfilled by their hypothetical partner.

The yodeling sections in the song add an extra layer of emotional resonance, with the singer's voice soaring up into the higher register to convey a sense of melancholy and yearning. The yodeling also helps to tie the song more closely to the genre of cowboy/cowgirl music, which often features this distinctive vocal technique. Overall, "Tuck Away My Lonesome Blues" is a lovely and affecting song that captures the feeling of being alone in the world and hoping to find someone to share your life with.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm always blue, feeling so blue
I am constantly feeling sad and downhearted.

I wish, I had someone I knew
I desire to have someone in my life who is familiar and close to me.

Just to help me tuck away my blues
Just to help me cope with my feelings of sadness.

Lonesome blues
The particular kind of sadness I am feeling is a deep and isolating one.

So won't you be that someone
Would you please be that person for me?

To help me lose the blues
To help me get rid of my sad feelings.

I really need someone to love me, someone to kiss
I am really seeking the affection and intimacy of a partner.

Someone to scold me, someone to miss
I want a companion who will hold me accountable but also miss me when we are not together.

So help me tuck away my lonesome blues
Please aid me in working through my profound feelings of sadness and loneliness.

(Yodel)
Musical interlude.

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JIMMIE RODGERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind