One of my all-time favorite country songs is Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man).”
The country icon sadly passed away on Tuesday morning at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, at age 90, and I haven’t been able to get this one out of my head ever since.
“You Ain’t Woman Enough” was the title track to her 1966 album of the same name, and peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, ultimately becoming one of her signature songs.
It was inspired by a couple very true stories, which you’ll definitely want to read about here.
And back in 2009, at the George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert special, Mrs. Faith Hill did an absolutely kickass cover of the song for The King.
Loretta was a massive influence in Faith’s career, like many others, and Faith shared a beautiful tribute to her on her Instagram page earlier this week, as well as sharing a few personal stories about their relationship that mean a lot to her:
“Loretta Lynn was and always will be a national treasure. She not only ‘pushed the envelope’ as the old saying goes…this woman was the envelope filled with stories of life. A real life, as a woman. What it meant to be a woman. To be a wife, to be a mother.
Speaking plainly, truth telling, you know…the real shit. So, by the time her undeniably trail blazing testimonies reached the airways, that thing the music industry described as “pushing the envelope,” Loretta had established herself as an original. The original.
Loretta knew that women could break down walls. And she did, for all women baring their souls and their lives. I have so many personal stories with Loretta. There is one that makes me laugh every time I think about it.
We were at a very big award show and I was onstage getting ready to present and I look down at Loretta and she is yelling at me ‘Hey, honey. I love you so much, honey.’ She didn’t care about where we were, because, you see, when Loretta Lynn calls your name, the world stops for a moment.
After the award presentation, I jumped down off the stage and went straight to Loretta and gave her the biggest hug and told her I loved her too. We love you Loretta.
PS. When my song ‘Take Me As I Am’ went #1, Loretta sent this photo to me: ‘To my Baby, I told you you’d get #1, didn’t I? I love you, Honey.’”
What a woman.
Mrs. Loretta will be sorely missed, that’s for sure.
Do yourself a favor and check out Faith’s rendition of “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” you’ll be glad you did:
“You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)”