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.
One's On The Way
Loretta Lynn Lyrics
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And Jackie's seen in a Discotecque doin' a brand new dance
And the White House social season should be glitterin' an' gay
But here in Topeka the rain is a fallin'
The faucet is a drippin' and the kids are a bawlin'
One of them a toddlin' and one is a crawlin'
And one's on the way
And Debbie's out in Vegas workin' up a brand new act
While the TV's showin' newlyweds, a real fun game to play
But here in Topeka, the screen door's a bangin'
The coffee's boilin' over and the wash needs a hangin'
One wants a cookie and one wants a changin'
And one's on the way
Now what was I doin', Jimmy get away from there
Darn, there goes the phone
Hello honey, what's that you say
You're bringin' a few old army buddies home
You're callin' from a bar
Get away from there, no, not you honey
I was talkin' to the baby
Wait a minute, honey, the door bell
Honey, could you stop at the market and hello, hello
Well, I'll be
The girls in New York City, they all march for women's lib
And better homes and garden shows the modern way to live
And the pill may change the world tomorrow, but meanwhile, today
Here in Topeka, the flies are a buzzin'
The dog is a barkin' and the floor needs a scrubbin'
One needs a spankin' and one needs a huggin'
Lord, one's on the way
Oh gee, I hope it ain't twins, again
Loretta Lynn's song "One's On The Way" is a humorous take on the stark contrast between the glamorous lifestyle of celebrities and the everyday struggles of a busy mother. The lyrics compare the extravagant lives of Liz Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Raquel Welch, and Debbie (presumably Debbie Reynolds) to the mundane life of the singer, who lives in Topeka, Kansas. While the celebrities are jet-setting around the world and making millions, the singer is stuck at home dealing with leaky faucets, crying children, and needing to put up washing. Despite the chaos, the singer seems content with her life, and in fact, she mentions that "one's on the way" - implying that she is pregnant again and will soon be adding to her hectic household.
The song speaks to the realities of being a busy mother, where the day-to-day struggles can sometimes feel overwhelming. By contrasting the lifestyles of famous women with the life of the singer in Topeka, Lynn highlights the commonalities of motherhood across all socio-economic classes. Additionally, the line "The pill may change the world tomorrow, but meanwhile, today" reflects the changing social attitudes towards contraception and family planning during the 1970s, when the song was written.
Line by Line Meaning
They say to have her hair done, Liz flies all the way to France
People claim that to get her hair done, Liz travels all the way to France
And Jackie's seen in a Discotecque doin' a brand new dance
Jackie is at a discotheque performing a new dance
And the White House social season should be glitterin' an' gay
The White House's social events must be glamorous and festive
But here in Topeka the rain is a fallin'
However, in Topeka, it is raining
The faucet is a drippin' and the kids are a bawlin'
The faucet is dripping and the children are crying
One of them a toddlin' and one is a crawlin'
One of them is a toddler, and one is crawling
And one's on the way
And one more child is on the way
I'm glad that Raquel Welch just signed a million dollar pact
I am happy that Raquel Welch signed a million-dollar contract
And Debbie's out in Vegas workin' up a brand new act
Debbie is in Vegas preparing to perform a new act
While the TV's showin' newlyweds, a real fun game to play
Meanwhile, the television is broadcasting a game where newlyweds compete
But here in Topeka, the screen door's a bangin'
However, in Topeka, the screen door is banging
The coffee's boilin' over and the wash needs a hangin'
The coffee is boiling and the laundry needs to be put up to dry
One wants a cookie and one wants a changin'
One child wants a cookie, and one needs a diaper change
And one's on the way
And one more child is on the way
Now what was I doin', Jimmy get away from there
I am not sure what I was doing, and I am telling Jimmy to walk away from something
Darn, there goes the phone
Darn, the phone just rang
Hello honey, what's that you say
Hello, honey, what did you say?
You're bringin' a few old army buddies home
You are bringing some of your army friends home
You're callin' from a bar
You are calling from a bar
Get away from there, no, not you honey
Leave the bar, but I am not talking to you, honey
I was talkin' to the baby
I was talking to the baby
Wait a minute, honey, the door bell
Wait a moment, honey, the doorbell rang
Honey, could you stop at the market and hello, hello
Darling, can you stop at the market? Hello, hello?
Well, I'll be
Well, I cannot believe this
The girls in New York City, they all march for women's lib
Girls in New York City are protesting for women's liberation
And better homes and garden shows the modern way to live
Better Homes and Gardens magazine features ways to live in a modernized manner
And the pill may change the world tomorrow, but meanwhile, today
The contraceptive pill will probably impact the world tomorrow, but today
Here in Topeka, the flies are a buzzin'
Flies are buzzing in Topeka
The dog is a barkin' and the floor needs a scrubbin'
The dog is barking and the floor needs to be cleaned
One needs a spankin' and one needs a huggin'
One child needs a spanking and one needs a hug
Lord, one's on the way
Lord, and one more child is on the way
Oh gee, I hope it ain't twins, again
Oh, boy, I hope I am not having twins again
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Shel Silverstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind