Wanda Jackson – Fujiyama Mama

I’m letting my regular format rest this weekend and contine what I started Friday, a foray into some rockabilly. I hope you stay with me. Let start off this Saturday morning with one of the best…Wanda Jackson.

After posting about Joyce Green a while back I started hunting around for more rockabilly songs. The vocal that Jackson has on this is great. Hard to believe she was a teenager when did this.

Fujiyama Mama is a song written by Jack Hammer. It was first recorded in 1955 by Annisteen Allen. In 1957 rockabilly singer Wanda Jackson recorded it. It did not chart in the United States, but Jackson’s recording peaked at #1 in Japan for several months in 1958.

So why wasn’t this a hit in America? Wanda said “Nobody would play it,” she insists. “They barely had accepted Elvis and the other ones, and they weren’t too sure about accepting a teenage girl singing this kind of music..” 

Others have said America wasn’t too happy about the sexual meaning of the lyrics being delivered by a teenage girl. The Japanese enjoyed hearing familiar places in the song much more than the memory of the war. It’s still a cult favorite in Japan.

Wanda Jackson: I’m going to go back now to the year 1958. … Finally, I got a number one song in rock and roll. [Applause.] Thank you, but it wasn’t in America. [Laughs.] It took them a little bit longer to find me. But Japan found me in ’58 and made this song number one for a whole summer. And those people still sing it today—I can’t believe it. Like an evergreen song, you know? Every generation. It’s amazing.

Fuijyama Mama

I’ve been to Nagasaki, Hiroshima too
The things I did to them baby, I can do to you

‘Cause I’m a Fujiyama Mama
And I’m just about to blow my top
Fujiyama-yama, Fujiyama
And when I start erupting
Ain’t nobody gonna make me stop

I drink a quart of sake, smoke dynamite
I chase it with tobbacy and then shoot out the lights

‘Cause I’m a Fujiyama Mama
And I’m just about to blow my top
Fujiyama-yama, Fujiyama
And when I start erupting
Ain’t nobody gonna make me stop

Well you can talk about me, say that I’m mean
I’ll blow your head off baby with nitroglycerine

‘Cause I’m a Fujiyama Mama
And I’m just about to blow my top
Fujiyama-yama, Fujiyama
And when I start erupting
Ain’t nobody gonna make me stop

Well you can say I’m crazy, so deaf and dumb
But I can cause destruction just like the atom bomb

‘Cause I’m a Fujiyama Mama
And I’m just about to blow my top
Fujiyama-yama, Fujiyama
And when I start erupting
Ain’t nobody gonna make me stop

I drink a quart of sake, smoke dynamite
I chase it with tobbacy and then shoot out the lights

‘Cause I’m a Fujiyama Mama
And I’m just about to blow my top
Fujiyama-yama, Fujiyama
And when I start erupting
Ain’t nobody gonna make me stop

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

34 thoughts on “Wanda Jackson – Fujiyama Mama”

    1. You are welcomed Jim… this is the music I’ve been listening to recently…that is why what you posted the other day was perfect.

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    1. Yes… she is probably the best known rockabilly female I would say….but was she at a star level? No… but known.

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  4. Cool tune – gotta love the title. Jackson’s fierce vocals are quite something and certainly do not sound like a teenager is singing.

    I’m afraid I only know Jackson from her incredible rendition of “Let’s Have a Party.” And while Elvis is my childhood idol, his version sounds pretty lame by comparison. But of course, Elvis is still The King! Jackson could well be The Queen! 🙂

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    1. She did have an unusual voice. Her voice is right in your face. She was a rocker no doubt. I think she is still doing it to this day.

      I would never have guessed she was a teenager.

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  5. Wanda Jackson is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an early influencer … and with good reason. I absolutely love her. Believe it or not, she only retired from performing in 2019 — at the age of 82. Her doctor made her quit, or I’m sure she’d still be out there doing her amazing thing.

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    1. She really is something. One of those that I’m very happy she got the notice she deserved finally but should have got it at that time.
      I was wondering if she still played…

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      1. She was scheduled to perform at Viva Las Vegas 2019 and had to pull out on her MD’s advice … and subsequently decided to retire. The main reason I know all this is that I had planned to do a day trip to VLV just to see her.

        If you like rockabilly and have the means to attend once it’s back up and running (this year is still somewhat in question), Viva Las Vegas is fabulous. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

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      2. We are going to get out more when this is done… We are going to start taking advantage of getting out so yes…. thanks we will keep that in mind.

        Liked by 2 people

      1. Yeah the take I have been thinking about would lean more towards folks like Wanda, under the radar. So many cool performers and songs. You and 1537 (Did a great take on Jerry Lee) have recently nudged me to this music. It doesn’t take much.

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      2. You ever hear of Sparkle Moore? I just found her recently….she was a rocker back then. I just love the rhythm of these songs….and those cool guitar fills.

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  10. I’ve never heard this, but what a voice for such a young singer! But I would like to get on my soapbox about what a stupid, prudish and ridiculous country America was at the time (and still is, quite frankly), mainly due to the strong influence of Christianity. Makes me sick…

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  11. I love Wanda Jackson! I don’t know this song though…it’s really cool. I know “Having a Party” and “Mean, Mean Man”. Thanks for turning me onto this one…She was a good friend of Elvis and Jack White is a big champion of her music.

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    1. I love this stuff and as you see…I’ve been listening to rockabilly and the Replacements for a few weeks now.
      She was downright cool. One commentor said she just retired in 2019 because of Doctors orders….I can’t get enough of her voice.

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  12. Another great pick, man. I saw Wanda Jackson on a Jools Holland Hootenanny about 10 years ago and she still had that fire in her voice that she has here.

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      1. I saw her on TV – sorry that wasn’t clear. Jools Holland does a Hootenany every year and even when I don’t watch Later… regularly, he tends to have some decent guests on there (plus, it’s the best Hogmanay TV option).

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