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.

Yakety-Yak
Wanda Jackson Lyrics

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Take out the papers and the trash or you don't get no spending cash
If you don't scrub that kitchen floor you ain't gonna rock'n roll no more
(Yakety yak don't talk back)

Just finish cleaing up your room let's see that dust fly with that broom
Get all that garbage out of sight or you don't go out Friday night
(Yakety yak don't talk back)

You just put on your coat and hat and walk yourself to the laundry mat
And when you finish doing that bring in the dog and put out the cat
(Yakety yak don't talk back)

Don't give me no dirty looks your father's hip he knows what cooks
Just tell your hoodlum friend outside you ain't got time to take a ride

(Yakety yak don't talk back) yakety yak yakety yak yakety yak yakety yak
Yakety yak yakety yak

Overall Meaning

The song Yakety-Yak, recorded by Wanda Jackson in 1958, is a humorous look at the generation gap between parents and their teenage children. The lyrics focus on chores and responsibilities that the parents want the children to do in order to earn their spending cash and be allowed to go out on Friday night. The refrain, "Yakety yak don't talk back" is a way of telling the children to stop complaining and just do what they are told.

The song starts with the chore of taking out the papers and trash, which is an activity that used to be a common occurrence, as newspapers were delivered to people's homes daily. This is followed by a demand to scrub the kitchen floor, which is a nod to the traditional gender roles of the time and the idea that women should be responsible for cleaning the house. The next verse refers to cleaning up the room, with an emphasis on removing all the garbage, which is a way of teaching responsibility and cleanliness.

The last verse highlights the divide between teenagers and their parents. The teenagers are instructed to go to the laundromat and do their own laundry, which was a new concept at the time as most households had washers and dryers. The final line, "Just tell your hoodlum friend outside you ain't got time to take a ride", shows the parents' disapproval of their children's friends and their desire to control who their children socialize with.

Line by Line Meaning

Take out the papers and the trash or you don't get no spending cash
If you don't take out the rubbish or junk, you won't be given any money to spend.

If you don't scrub that kitchen floor you ain't gonna rock'n roll no more
If you don't clean the kitchen floor, you won't be able to enjoy rock and roll music anymore.

(Yakety yak don't talk back)
Don't complain, just do what you're told without arguing.

Just finish cleaning up your room let's see that dust fly with that broom
Clean up your room properly, and make sure you do a good job at removing all the dust with the broom.

Get all that garbage out of sight or you don't go out Friday night
Dispose of all the rubbish you have in your room, or else you won't be allowed to go out on Friday night.

(Yakety yak don't talk back)
Just listen to what you're told and don't complain.

You just put on your coat and hat and walk yourself to the laundry mat
Get dressed, put on your outdoor clothes, and take yourself to the the laundromat to do some washing.

And when you finish doing that bring in the dog and put out the cat
When you've finished doing the washing, bring the dog inside and put the cat outside.

(Yakety yak don't talk back)
Stop complaining and just follow these instructions.

Don't give me no dirty looks your father's hip he knows what cooks
Don't give me rude or uncooperative expression, as your father is aware of what's happening.

Just tell your hoodlum friend outside you ain't got time to take a ride
Politely tell your ruffian friend outside that you don't have time to go for a ride with them.

(Yakety yak don't talk back) yakety yak yakety yak yakety yak yakety yak Yakety yak yakety yak
Again, stop complaining and just do what you're told without argument.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore, BELINDA ABERBACH STEVENSON AGAR REVOCABLE TRUST
Written by: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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