Jackson (song)
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- This is about the Lieber/Wheeler song recorded by the Cashes and by others. For the Lucinda Williams song, see the Jackson section in the Lucinda Williams article.
"Jackson" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler about a married couple who find that the "fire" has gone out of their relationship. The song relates the desire of both partners to travel to a city named Jackson (the capital of Mississippi, a county seat in Tennessee, or some smaller Jackson), where they each expect to be welcomed as someone far better suited to the city's lively night life than the other is.
Gaby Rodgers is frequently cited as co-author of "Jackson", because Leiber used his then-wife's name as a pseudonym in writing the song with Wheeler.
The song appeared on The Kingston Trio album Sunny Side!, released in 1963. Since the dialogue in this version is between father and son, the lyrics differ slightly from later recorded versions.
Johnny Cash and June Carter won a Grammy Award in 1968 for their recording of the song. Johnny Cash also sang it with Miss Piggy when he appeared on The Muppet Show. The song was performed by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (playing Johnny Cash and June Carter) in the 2005 film Walk the Line.
Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood also recorded a version of the song that charted at #14 in 1967.
Jenny Morris and INXS also recorded a version in 1983.
The song was also covered by British band Brakes (as a duet with Liela Moss of The Duke Spirit) on their debut album, Give Blood.
Country music parodist Cledus T. Judd recorded a parody called "Jackson (Alan That Is)" on his 1996 album I Stoled This Record. The parody deals with a man who is frustrated over his wife's obsession with Alan Jackson; the parody also includes snippets from Alan's 1994 song "Chattahoochee".
The band Pansy Division also did a parody cover for their 1995 album Pile Up.
Yet another cover was released in 2004 by Hem on their album Eveningland. This version of the song has a different mood entirely from the famous Johnny & June recording; instead of sassy and uncaring, this recording is slow, sad, and regretful.
