Lynn Anderson remains among the most pivotal country artists of the 60s and 70s. A true pioneer within the genre, Anderson’s hits are far too many to mention. But among all of her hit songs are these three, which all sound like country music gold.
“Rose Garden”
Anderson’s first No. 1 hit, “Rose Garden“, came out in 1970. The title track of Anderson’s biggest country album of her career, Joe South is the writer of “Rose Garden”.
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“Rose Garden” says, “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden / Along with the sunshine there’s gotta be a little rain sometime / When you take, you gotta give, so live and let live and let go, / I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.”
“It was popular because it touched on emotions,” Anderson explains. “It was perfectly timed; it was out just as we came out of the Vietnam years, and a lot of people were trying to recover. This song states that you can make something out of nothing. You take it and go ahead.”
Although “Rose Garden” is a country classic, it is also Anderson’s biggest crossover hit, peaking in the Top 5. Her producer, Glenn Sutton, tried to dissuade her from recording the song, claiming it was meant to be sung from a male perspective.
“Promises, Promises”
Anderson’s second Top 5 single, “Promises, Promises”, is the title track of Anderson’s sophomore album. William Smith and Carlye Hughey are the two writers of the sassy song. “Promises, Promises” is about a woman wanting a man to follow up his words with action.
The song says, “Promises promises, that’s all I ever get, that’s all I ever get / Then you promised me a ring, a wedding gown, and all of them things / But I ain’t seen no diamond yet.”
“What A Man My Man Is”
Anderson’s final No.1 single is “What A Man My Man Is”, out in 1974. The song is the title track of a record, out that same year.
Sutton is the only writer of “What A Man My Man Is”. A song about finally finding the person of her dreams, “What A Man My Man Is” says, “Goodbye blues I’m not gonna sing you no more / I finally got my hands on what I’ve been looking for / I’ve found me a man that knows how to keep me eating from the palm of his hand / Talk about sunshine I’ve got the sunshine man / Man, what a man, what a man, what a man my man is.”
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