Born in Miami, Florida, Jackson joined Duke Ellington alumnus Cootie Williams's band in 1949 as a teenager, after being discovered by Eddie Vinson. During the 1950s Jackson participated in R&B and jazz recordings, primarily as a session musician. He also toured as leader of the backing band of singer Ruth Brown, whom he married. Jackson joined Prestige Records in 1959, making a string of jazz albums that proved to an influence on the burgeoning soul jazz movement. During this era, Jack McDuff and Pat Martino became famous through association with Jackson. Jackson's main influences were Lester Young and Illinois Jacquet.
Jamaican ska innovator Prince Buster has cited Jackson's song "Later for the Gator" as one of the first ska songs.
Jackson died in New York one week after heart surgery, in October 1987, at the age of 55.
Discography
Please Mr. Jackson (Prestige, 1959) - with Jack McDuff and Bill Jennings
Cool "Gator" (Prestige, 1959–60) with Jack McDuff and Bill Jennings [also released as Keep on a Blowin]
Blue Gator (Prestige, 1959–60)
Cookin' Sherry (Prestige, 1959-60 1961)
Together Again! (Prestige, 1959-60 [1965]) - with Jack McDuff
Really Groovin' (Prestige, 1961)[also released as Swingtime]
In My Solitude (Moodsville, 1961)
Together Again, Again (Prestige 1959-1961 [1966]) - with Brother Jack McDuff
Thunderbird (Prestige, 1962)
Johnny "Hammond" Cooks with Gator Tail (Prestige, 1962) - with Johnny "Hammond" Smith
Bossa Nova Plus (Prestige, 1962) [also released as Shuckin']
Neapolitan Nights (Prestige, 1962)
Loose... (Prestige, 1963)
Grease 'n' Gravy (Prestige, 1963)
The Good Life (Prestige, 1963)
More Gravy (Prestige, 1963)
Boss Shoutin' (Prestige, 1964)
Jackson's Action! (Prestige, 1964)
Live! Action (Prestige, 1964 [1966])
Soul Night/Live! (Prestige, 1964 [1966])
Tell It... (Prestige, 1964 [1967])
'Gator Tails (Verve, 1964) [also released as Willis Jackson]
Smoking with Willis (Cadet, 1965)
Soul Grabber (Prestige, 1967)
Star Bag (Prestige, 1968)
Swivelhips (Prestige, 1968)
Gator's Groove (Prestige, 1968)
Mellow Blues (Upfront, 1970)
Recording Session (Big Chance, 1970)
Gatorade (Prestige, 1971)
West Africa (Muse, 1973)
Headed and Gutted (Muse, 1974)
The Way We Were (Atlantic, 1975)
Funky Reggae (Trip, 1976)
In the Alley (Muse, 1976)
Plays with Feeling (Cotillion), 1976
The Gator Horn (Muse, 1977)
Bar Wars (Muse, 1977)
Single Action - with Pat Martino (Muse, 1978)
Lockin' Horns - with Von Freeman (Muse, 1978)
In Chateauneuf du Pape (Black and Blue, 1980) - also released as Ya Understand Me? (Muse, 1980)
Nothin' Butt (Muse, 1980)
Plays Around With Hits (Jazz Trip), 19??
On My Own (Whiskey, Women, And ... Record Company), 1986 compilation of fifties tracks
The Best Of Willis Jackson Volume One - Gator's Groove (Ace), 1988 compilation of Prestige recordings
the way we were
Willis Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
If we had the chance to do it all again
Could we?
Memories may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were
The way we were
The song The Way We Were, by Willis Jackson, portrays the overwhelming feeling of nostalgia and the power of memories. The lyrics talk about how memories light up the corners of one's mind, and how they can be so vivid and almost palpable, like misty water-colored memories. The scattered pictures contain the smiles that they left behind, the smiles they gave to one another. This portion of the lyrics is all about the memories that the singer and the other person created together, and how they left a lasting impact. It is a reflection of the relationships we build and how we remember them in our minds.
The next section of the lyrics is about how things may have been a lot simpler back then, and how time may have rewritten every line. This could allude to how things may seem simpler in our memories than they actually were, or how the course of time may have changed things drastically. However, the singer ponders whether if given the chance, would they do it all again, would they make the same choices, or could they change the outcome.
Finally, the song acknowledges that some memories are too painful to remember, and people tend to choose to forget them. However, it's the laughter and happy times spent together that will always be remembered whenever they remember the way they were. The last line "The way we were" is a reminder that even though times have changed, and things may be different now, the memories remain and will always be with them.
Line by Line Meaning
Memories light the corners of my mind
Recollections bring back vivid thoughts of the past
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Memories that seem incomplete and are visible only in parts
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Images of happy moments that we left in the past
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
Happy expressions shared between us and the way we used to be
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Was everything easy in those days
Or has time rewritten every line
Did time change everything we thought was true
If we had the chance to do it all again
If we had another chance to live in the past
Tell me, would we?
Would we go back or not
Could we?
Do we have the capacity to do so
Memories may be beautiful and yet
Recollections may be pretty, but
What's too painful to remember
The memories that hurt us the most
We simply choose to forget
We would rather not dwell on them
So it's the laughter we will remember
Instead, we will remember the happy and good times
Whenever we remember
Every time we bring those times back to our minds
The way we were
The reminisced version of ourselves
The way we were
The way we used to be
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind