From humble origins in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, Loretta Lynn soared to country music stardom with her voice and talents. As a singer, she is my personal favorite female country artist and of her many songs, the following ten are my top ten favorites.
Number one on the list is her hit “Coal Miner’s Daughter”. This loving tribute to her hard working, loving parents takes the listener on a trip down memory lane and paints a vivid picture of the way Loretta spent her childhood. Lines like “we were poor but we had love, that’s one thing that Mama made sure of” warm the heart and leave a lasting impression. This song remains my number one favorite.
Next on the list is “Blue Kentucky Girl”, another song that owes a lot to Loretta’s own past. Her strong yet feminine voice and simple rhythms make the song worth listening to again and again.
Many of her songs deal with the sometimes harsh realities of married life, especially for a blue collar wife. “One’s On The Way” comes in at number three because I have always loved this song. I appreciated the sentiment behind the lyrics, however, much more after I became a mother myself with a child for every year of marriage in the early years. Stay home moms and anyone who has ever yearned for something better on a rainy day can relate to this tune.
At number four is the cute “If You’re Looking At Me, You’re Looking At Country”, a simple song that celebrates the many joys of a simple, rural life away from the hustle and bustle of the cities. It is nostalgic and also a catchy, upbeat tunes that makes anyone wish they were “country”.
The next four favorite songs each deal with marital problems. Number five is “You Ain’t Woman Enough To Take My Man”, a gutsy challenge that touches her late husband’s occasional dalliances. The same subject fills the lyrics of “Fist City”, an open threat to “stay away from my man if you don’t want to go to Fist City”, meaning, of course, that she will fight physically to keep her marriage. Husband Mooney’s fondness for drink is hit hard in number seven and eight – “Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ With Lovin’ On Your Mind” in which the title says it all and in “Your Squaw Is On The Warpath”, a cute song with a hard hitting message and a Native American style beat.
At number nine is the lighthearted “Hey Loretta”, a much more upbeat song in both tempo and subject matter that leaves the listener with a happy smile.
Last but far from least is my favorite Loretta Lynn song with Conway Twitty. Although the two did many duos together, this one is my personal favorite. Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” with it’s cute love story told in a humorous way using the voices of two country music greats.
I love all Loretta Lynn’s songs, though, and these top ten are just a few of the favorites I listen to again and again.
