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.
Sweet Dreams
Loretta Lynn Lyrics
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Why can't I forget you and start my life anew
Instead of having sweet dreams about you
You don't love me it's plain I should know I'll never wear your ring
I should hate you the whole night through instead of having sweet dreams about you
Sweet dreams of you things I know can't come true
Why can't I forget the past start loving someone new
Instead of having sweet dreams about you
In Loretta Lynn's "Sweet Dreams," the singer longs to move on from a past lover but finds herself haunted by sweet dreams of him every night. Lynn ponders why she can't forget him and start anew, asking herself why she continues to romanticize a relationship that clearly wasn't meant to be. Though she recognizes that he doesn't love her and she will never wear his ring, she still can't bring herself to hate him. Lynn is trapped by her own mind, unable to let go of what could have been and face the reality of what is.
The song speaks to the human experience of clinging to something we know is not good for us, but can't seem to shake. We become attached to the past, to people who hurt us, to memories that we know are idealized, and we struggle to move forward because letting go is hard. We tell ourselves sweet stories about our past loves, rewrite the endings to satisfy our hearts, and dream of a future that will never come to pass. Loretta Lynn captures this common experience with her signature blend of honesty and vulnerability, reminding us that sometimes the hardest thing to do is face reality and move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet dreams of you every night I go through
I keep dreaming of you every single night.
Why can't I forget you and start my life anew
Why can't I just forget about you and move on?
Instead of having sweet dreams about you
Instead of dreaming about you in a positive way.
You don't love me it's plain I should know I'll never wear your ring
I realize you don't love me and it's clear to me that we will never get married.
I should hate you the whole night through instead of having sweet dreams about you
I should feel hatred towards you all the time, rather than just during the night when I dream.
Sweet dreams of you things I know can't come true
I have sweet dreams about you, but I know that the things I dream about will never happen.
Why can't I forget the past start loving someone new
Why can't I move on from the past and start to love someone new?
Instead of having sweet dreams about you
Instead of dreaming about you in a positive way.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DON GIBSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind