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.
I Never Will Marry
Loretta Lynn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be no man's wife
I intend to stay single
For the rest of my life
One day as I wander
Down by the sea shore
The wind it did whistle
And the waters did roar
Make a pitiful cry
She sounded so lonesome
At the waters nearby
No, I never will marry
I'll be no man's wife
I intend to stay single
For the rest of my life
My love's gone and left me
He's the one I adore
I never will see him
No, never no more
The shells in the ocean
Will be my deathbed
And the fish in the waters
Swim over my head
She plunged her fair body
In the water so deep
She closed her blue eyes
In the waters, to sleep
I never will marry
I'll be no man's wife
I intend to stay single
For the rest of my life
The song "I Never Will Marry" by Loretta Lynn is a melancholic ballad that revolves around the theme of lost love and the singer's decision to stay unmarried for the rest of her life. The song starts with the singer declaring her intention to never marry and be a man's wife. She speaks of wandering down to the seashore and hearing a girl's pitiful cry for being alone. Her determination to stay unmarried is further cemented by her lost love who has left her alone and whom she will never see again. The chorus is repeated twice to emphasize and stress on her decision of living a single life.
The second verse talks about the singer choosing death over the possibility of ever getting married. She pictures her deathbed to be the ocean shells and the fish swimming over her head. The verse ends on the poignant scene where she plunges deep in the ocean and closes her blue eyes to finally sleep. The chorus is repeated again, concluding the song with the main sentiment of staying unmarried.
One of the interesting things about the song is that it resonates with Loretta Lynn's own life story. Loretta quit school when she was 15 to marry Oliver Lynn, her husband. The line "I never will marry" echoes her initial reluctance to marriage. Oliver Lynn was a coal miner and after their marriage, Loretta moved to Washington to be with him. It was here that she started singing in local clubs and became a regular performer. Eventually, she discovered her passion for music and went on to become one of the most successful country music artists. Another interesting piece of information is that the song has been widely covered by various artists like The Carter Family, Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, and more.
Line by Line Meaning
I never will marry
I have decided that I will never get married
I'll be no man's wife
I have no intention of becoming the wife of a man
I intend to stay single
I have made up my mind to live my life alone without being committed to anyone
For the rest of my life
This is a decision that I plan to stand by until the end of my life
One day as I wander
As I was walking around on a particular day
Down by the sea shore
I found myself close to the shore of the sea
The wind it did whistle
The wind was blowing with a whistling sound
And the waters did roar
The water was making a loud noise as it hit the shore
I heard a poor maiden
I could hear a young, unfortunate woman
Make a pitiful cry
She was sobbing and sounded very sorrowful
She sounded so lonesome
Her cries made it clear that she was feeling extremely lonely
At the waters nearby
She was near the water bodies while lamenting
My love's gone and left me
I have been abandoned by someone whom I love very much
He's the one I adore
I genuinely love this man
I never will see him
I do not expect to set my eyes on him again
No, never no more
Not at any point in time in the future
The shells in the ocean
I will be lying on my deathbed at the bottom of the ocean
Will be my deathbed
This is where I will die and breathe my last breath
And the fish in the waters
The fish swimming in the water
Swim over my head
They will swim over my motionless body
She plunged her fair body
The young lady threw herself into the water
In the water so deep
The water was quite deep below where she jumped in
She closed her blue eyes
As she sank into the water, she shut her eyes
In the waters, to sleep
She fell asleep forever in a watery grave
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Fred Hellerman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Corina Fletcher
I love this song. This is how I feel about my husband.
Joyce Foltz
Love Loretta and this song. Thanks for posting this.
Kayla DeAnna
Ancestors sang this song… what a lovely feeling to sing along LORETTA!!!
Sherry Ratliff
Love u Lorrette, been long time since I heard this ,still love it
The Carter Family Channel
Thank you Loretta for doing this old Carter Family song :)
Victoria Christine
I love your music it bring me joy and sadness all in one but it all good memories and sad memory cuz sometimes I doubt myself when I hear the song I will never marry again I am in a serious relationship with a man who is in the Army I have been with him for two years now and he is still not home I sometimes I find myself wondering if he will ever come home he always tells me that he is coming home but my heart tells me otherwise I don't know what to do to ease my heart tells me to believe what he says but my mind tells me otherwise I have never followed my gut instinct I have always followed my heart listen to your music and it to my mind but also brings me to tears because he had promised to marry me and make me his wife and I hope he holds up to his promise because I promised myself I would never marry again so I would not go through the hell I have been put through twice because I was married twice to two men that did not love me and did not love my kids they beat me and beat my kids I love your music so much that it takes me back as a child with my mom would sing your songs to me as a child and my mom is in a nursing home as well as my father my mother has dementia and Alzheimer's she no longer sings she cannot remember things anymore like she used to and it cuts my heart beat if you can please text me back at 330-428-3518 I would love to talk to you someday in person I love you Loretta Lynn .p.s Victoria Stroup
Chrisstanckley Gingivitis
It breaks my heart to hear this. I pray that you can find happiness in Jesus. God bless you.
Jerryjeffelvis
If you sing it just right you might have a hit.
wiserbud
Sweetheart Loretta.
Tonya Threet
My theme song