Loretta Lynn (April 14, 1932 - October 4, 2022) was an American country sin… Read Full Bio ↴Loretta Lynn (April 14, 1932 - October 4, 2022) was an American country singer who was the leading country female vocalist during much of the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1970s she became one of the most famous women in all of America and frequently made "most admired women" polls alongside first ladies and world leaders.

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.

When The Tingle Becomes A Chill
Loretta Lynn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sometimes at night while you're fast asleep
I lie there alone in the darkness and weep
So sorry and sad but that's part of the deal
When the tingle becomes a chill

I never wanted to stop loving you
I'll swear by the breath in my body that's true
Ah but a woman can't help the way

That she feels when the tingle becomes a chill

You're so contented but for me it's all gone
And though I pretend you just don't turn me on
The body performs but the soul has no will
When the tingle becomes a chill

I never wanted to stop loving you
I'll swear by the breath in my body that's true

Ah but a woman can't help the way
That she feels when the tingle becomes a chill

Overall Meaning

Loretta Lynn's song "When The Tingle Becomes A Chill" reflects on the complexities of love and the inevitable changes that come with it. The song speaks to the loneliness and pain that come with feeling disconnected from a partner. The lyrics describe the feeling of lying awake at night, weeping in the darkness, while the partner sleeps soundly. The singer is sorry and sad, but she acknowledges that this feeling is part of the deal when love starts to change.

The chorus of the song highlights the physical and emotional distance between the two lovers. The singer never wanted to stop loving her partner, but over time, the passion and excitement faded away. While her partner is contented, she feels that something fundamental is missing. The singer acknowledges that she cannot help the way she feels when the tingle becomes a chill. Though the body may perform, the soul has no will.

This song speaks to the universal experience of falling out of love while grappling with feelings of guilt, sadness, and loneliness. It highlights the emotional difficulties that come with accepting the end of a relationship, and the painful process of letting go.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes at night while you're fast asleep
Occasionally, when you're sound asleep in bed at night

I lie there alone in the darkness and weep
I lay there by myself in the dark, crying

So sorry and sad but that's part of the deal
I feel apologetic and sorrowful, but it's just how things have turned out

When the tingle becomes a chill
When the excitement and passion fades away

I never wanted to stop loving you
I didn't plan on no longer loving you

I'll swear by the breath in my body that's true
I am absolutely certain that what I'm saying is true

Ah but a woman can't help the way
But a woman can't control her emotions

That she feels when the tingle becomes a chill
The way she feels when the passion and excitement dissipates

You're so contented but for me it's all gone
You're satisfied with the way things are, but for me, the passion is gone

And though I pretend you just don't turn me on
And even though I try to fake it, you don't excite me anymore

The body performs but the soul has no will
I can still have physical intimacy with you, but emotionally I'm not into it