On This Day in 1968, Loretta Lynn Released the No. 1 Album That Solidified Her Tough-As-Nails Image

On this day (April 15) in 1968, Loretta Lynn released Fist City. Later that year, it reached the top of the country albums chart, where it stayed for two weeks. It also produced a pair of hit singles. The LP’s title track went to No. 1, giving Lynn her second chart-topper.

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All of Lynn’s releases represented a delicate balancing act between her tough country image and Owen Bradley’s ultra-slick Nashville Sound production style. Fist City might be the best example of that balance. She flirted with soul on the heartbroken “You Never Were Mine” and “I Don’t Wanna Play House.” She again showed a softer side with “A Satisfied Mind” and thrilled country fans with the single “What Kind of Girl (Do You Think I Am),” which went to No. 5. The title track, though, showcased the attitude for which she would come to be known.

[RELATED: 55 Years Ago Today, Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty Were at No. 1 With a Song That Sparked Rumors of an Affair]

There is no question that Lynn and her husband, Doolittle, loved one another fiercely. However, their marriage was tumultuous. Many of her songs deal with his drinking and infidelity. At the same time, she was not shy about admitting that their arguments sometimes came to blows. “Fist City” showed the world how far she would go to protect her marriage.

Loretta Lynn Scores Another Autobiographical Hit

“Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)” gave Loretta Lynn her first No. 1 in 1966. The song was inspired by her husband’s habit of getting drunk, coming home late, and hoping to take his bride to bed. A year later, she was back at the top of the chart with an open threat to a woman who hoped to poach her husband.

According to Songfacts, Lynn wrote “Fist City” instead of taking that woman to the titular location. She was recording in Nashville when she learned that her husband was having an affair. Furious, she got in her car and embarked on the 75-mile drive home to deal with things. Lynn had finished the song before she reached her driveway.

She didn’t play the song for her husband after she finished it. Instead, he heard it for the first time when she played it on the Grand Ole Opry. After her performance, he informed her that the song wouldn’t go far. Lynn, on the other hand, knew there were enough women out there who felt the same way to make the song a hit.

As for the song’s inspiration, she knew the song was about her. “After the record came out, she stayed away for a good long time,” Lynn said. “Then, in 1996, when Doo was on his deathbed, and I was taking care of him, the bell rang. When I opened the front door, this woman walked right past me,” she recalled. “I didn’t know who she was at first, but then I realized it was her. She found Doo in his bed and was talking to him. Can you imagine? I felt like killing her. As you can probably tell, I still don’t like her to this day.”

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