Lynn was born in Butcher Hollow, Van Lear, Kentucky in 1932. According to Songfacts, Loretta Lynn's superstar Country career started in 1960 when she recorded " I'm a Honky Tonk Girl " as her debut single. The song was a minor hit, climbing to #14 on Billboard's C&W Chart. By the late 1960s she had begun picking up various Female Vocalist of the Year trophies and in 1972 the singer became the first woman in history to win the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year trophy. Lynn dominated the Country charts throughout the rest of the decade and has continued to record hit records through the ensuing years. Her 50th anniversary year began with the award of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement on January 31, 2010.
Lynn released over 70 albums. She is the sister of country singer Crystal Gayle (born in Paintsville, Kentucky) and Peggy Sue, and is a cousin of Patty Loveless. Her father was a coal miner in Van Lear. Her biography was made into the 1980 film, Coal Miner's Daughter.
After The Fire Is Gone
Loretta Lynn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you find no love at home
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
After the fire is gone
The bottle is almost empty
The clock just now struck ten
Darlin' I had to call you
We know it's wrong for us to meet
But the fire's gone out at home
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
After the fire is gone
Love is where you find it
When you find no love at home
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
After the fire is gone
Your lips are warm and tender
Your arms hold me just right
Sweet words of love you remember
That the one at home forgot
Each time we say is the last time
But we keep hangin' on
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
After the fire is gone
Love is where you find it
When you find no love at home
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
After the fire is gone
The lyrics to "After the Fire Is Gone" by Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty explore the topic of infidelity and the search for love outside of a marriage. The first verse talks about love being found in unexpected places when it is lacking at home. The second verse sets the scene of a secret rendezvous at a bar, one that the two have been to before. They know it is wrong to meet, but the fire has gone out in their respective marriages. The last verse speaks to the longing that the two have for each other. They acknowledge that they should stop it, but they cannot help themselves.
The lyrics are evocative and capture the feelings of passion and longing, even in the context of something that is, technically, wrong. The idea of nothing being colder than ashes after a fire is a powerful one, as it suggests that even the passion of an extramarital affair will eventually leave the two feeling empty and alone, just like ashes in a cold fireplace.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is where you find it
Love can be found anywhere, in any form
When you find no love at home
When you are not receiving love from your partner/spouse
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
There is nothing colder and more lifeless than the remnants of a burned out fire
After the fire is gone
After the love has faded away and the passion has died
The bottle is almost empty
They have been drinking and perhaps using alcohol as a way to cope with their unhappy relationships
The clock just now struck ten
It's late at night and they couldn't resist the urge to call each other and meet up
Darlin' I had to call you
Even though they know it's not right, they can't resist the temptation of meeting up with each other
To our favorite place again
To their usual meeting spot, where they have probably spent many secret nights together
We know it's wrong for us to meet
They both know that they are committing adultery and that it's morally and ethically wrong
But the fire's gone out at home
They both acknowledge that the love they once had at home is gone
Your lips are warm and tender
They are kissing each other passionately and enjoying the warmth and tenderness of each other's lips
Your arms hold me just right
They are embracing each other and the physical touch feels comforting and satisfying
Sweet words of love you remember
They are exchanging sweet and loving words that they haven't heard from their partners in a long time
That the one at home forgot
They are comparing how their partners have stopped saying sweet things to them, whereas they still continue to do so
Each time we say is the last time
They both make promises to themselves that this will be the last time they'll meet, but they never keep that promise
But we keep hangin' on
They keep holding on to each other, even though they are aware of the consequences of their actions
And there's nothin' cold as ashes
Just like ashes from a burned out fire, their situation feels lifeless and emotionless
After the fire is gone
The song ends with this line being repeated again, emphasizing how the passion and love has faded away and all that's left is emptiness
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: L WHITE, L E WHITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@miajane3878
yay and amen to that I remember '70s with them I used to sing it all all the time
@miajane3878
Thank you what a blessing country music that's all I listen to my whole life
@jennifergray3345
This is what I call real raw talent! This is real country music!
@sarahpirkle8847
Yes sir ,
@Country_boy-sz3bn
Exactly
@glenncambray626
Pure country.Great American tradition.
@davidallen8242
I agree with Jennifer.
@johnfulton4061
Yes this is the.real THANG!!!
@stuwrightfrom53
Loretta's 5th number one, a duet with Conway, how could it miss? 1971.
@charlesdraper2580
Loretta's singing with Conway and Patsy in Heaven now..