For decades, Loretta Lynn was part of country music. It’s Lynn who is the voice behind hits like “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, “Fist City”, “She’s Got You”, and more. But not all of Lynn’s songs were big radio hits, even though they remain a favorite among her fans.
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These three Loretta Lynn songs weren’t big hits at radio, but are still among her best songs.
“I’m A Honky Tonk Girl”
“I’m A Honky Tonk Girl” is Lynn’s very first single. Released in 1960, three years before her debut Loretta Lynn Sings album, “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl” is solely written by Loretta Lynn.
The song says, “So turn that jukebox way up high / And fill my glass up while I cry / I’ve lost everything in this world. And now I’m a honky tonk girl.”
According to Opry.com, it’s “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl” that earned her an invitation to make her Grand Ole Opry debut. In 1962, Lynn became a member of the Opry.
“Cheatin’ On A Cheater”
Out in 1980, “Cheatin’ On A Cheater” is on Lynn’s Lookin’ Good album. Written by Wilson Lee Bomar and Johnny A. Wilson, the song became a Top 20 hit for Lynn.
Although not written by Lynn, “Cheatin’ On A Cheater” is a classic Lynn song, with bold and brave lyrics. The song says, “‘Cause cheatin’ on a cheater don’t feel like cheatin’ / And I’m proving it again tonight / Lyin’ on a liar don’t feel like lyin’ / If someone ain’t treating you right.”
Lynn didn’t write any of the songs on Lookin’ Good. The only other single, “Somebody Led Me Away”, also peaked inside the Top 20.
“Still Woman Enough” With Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood
Still Woman Enough is the last album Lynn ever released. Out in 2021, one year before she passed away, Lynn sings the title track with Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood.
Lynn wrote “Still Woman Enough” with her daughter, Patsy Lynn Russell. The powerful song says, “I’m still woman enough / Still got what it takes inside / I know how to love, lose and survive / Ain’t much I ain’t seen and I ain’t tried / Been knocked down but never out of the fight / I’m strong but I’m tender / Wise but I’m tough / And let me tell you when it comes to love / I’m still woman enough.”
According to Russell, it was Lynn’s idea to invite McEntire and Underwood to sing on it with her.
“Mom’s way smarter than all of us,” Russell tells The Boot. “Because, I’m still playing off of ‘You Ain’t Woman Enough’ to ’till Woman Enough’ in my mind. And my mom saw a broader picture, that this is really about girlfriends standing together, ’cause we’re still woman enough, and the struggles. We’re woman enough to go through those. I think that’s part of Loretta Lynn’s genius, is knowing those moments, and what those moments are on a broader base.”
Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
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