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.
God's Country
Loretta Lynn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In them hills where folks are lucky
From a coal miner's daughter right to a coal miner's wife
Well the mountain folks love the mountains
White lightning flowed like the fountains
On a Sunday morning you can hear all the good folks singin
[Chorus:]
It's God's country in these hills he walks
And in the middle of the night you can hear him talk
It's the closest place to heaven that I know
If you wanna get to heaven get your road map out
It's called the bible if you have one doubt
I guess my friends, you must be on the wrong route
Well I miss the old camp meeting time and dinner on the ground
What I miss most is everything like all the country sounds
Like the lonesome sound of the whippoorwill sang me to sleep every night
And the whistle of the old freight train before daylight
[Chorus]
And my old Kentucky home's far away
Loretta Lynn's song God's Country is a celebration of her Appalachian roots and the beauty of rural life. She opens the song by reminiscing about her birthplace in Old Kentucky, specifically the hills where folks are "lucky" to live. From being born to a coal miner's daughter to becoming a coal miner's wife, Loretta is proud of her heritage and the strong sense of community that exists in the mountains.
White lightning is a reference to moonshine, a potent and illegal alcoholic beverage that was often brewed in rural areas. Despite being forbidden, white lightning was a common sight in Appalachia and would have been a part of Loretta's childhood. On Sundays, the mountain folks gather to sing and worship together, and Loretta considers this to be God's country. She believes that in the hills, God walks with the people, and they can hear Him talk, which makes it the closest place to heaven she knows.
The song's chorus encourages listeners to seek heaven by following the Bible, and Loretta warns that anyone who doubts its teachings is on the wrong route. She admits to missing the old camp meeting times and the country sounds that used to lull her to sleep, such as the lonesome sound of the whippoorwill and the whistle of the old freight train before the break of day. Even though her old Kentucky home is far away, it still holds a special place in her heart.
* The song was released as a single in 1974 and reached #6 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
* It was written by Earl Montgomery, who also wrote Lynn's hit song "What a Man, My Man Is."
* The song was covered by country music duo The Bellamy Brothers in 1979.
* The term "God's country" is a common expression used to describe scenic or rural areas with natural beauty.
* Loretta Lynn is known for her autobiographical country music and is often referred to as the "Queen of Country."
* She was born in Butcher Hollow, a home without running water or electricity.
* Lynn's father was a coal miner and her mother was a homemaker.
* She married her husband when she was just 13 and they went on to have six children.
* Lynn has won numerous awards during her career, including four Grammy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
* She is also a best-selling author, having written multiple books about her life and career.
Chords (Capo on 4th fret):
Verse - G, D, Em, C, G
Chorus - G, C, D, G
Line by Line Meaning
Well I was born in old Kentucky
I was born in the hilly state of Kentucky
In them hills where folks are lucky
I was born in the hilly region of Kentucky where people feel fortunate to live
From a coal miner's daughter right to a coal miner's wife
I went from being the daughter of a coal miner to the wife of a coal miner
Well the mountain folks love the mountains
The people who live in these mountains truly love their surroundings
White lightning flowed like the fountains
Moonshine flowed like a river in these parts
On a Sunday morning you can hear all the good folks singin
On Sunday mornings, the good people in these hills sing praises to God
It's God's country in these hills he walks
These hills belong to God and he roams them as he pleases
And in the middle of the night you can hear him talk
At night, you can feel God's presence and hear him speak
It's the closest place to heaven that I know
This place is so beautiful that it could be the closest to heaven on earth
If you wanna get to heaven get your road map out
If you want to go to heaven, get your bible out
It's called the bible if you have one doubt
In case you have any doubts, the map to heaven is called the bible
I guess my friends, you must be on the wrong route
If you're not following the principles of the bible, you're probably not headed towards heaven
Well I miss the old camp meeting time and dinner on the ground
I miss the old-fashioned church gathering and communal meals outdoors
What I miss most is everything like all the country sounds
What I miss the most about country living are all the sounds of nature
Like the lonesome sound of the whippoorwill sang me to sleep every night
The sound of the solitary Whippoorwill bird singing would gently lull me to sleep every night
And the whistle of the old freight train before daylight
Before dawn, I used to hear the distant noise of an old freight train whistle
And my old Kentucky home's far away
My childhood home in Kentucky is far away from where I am now
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LORETTA LYNN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind