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.
You Know Just What I'd Do
Loretta Lynn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would I walk your rocky road
Take a different path?
Would I sell my pride for you
If you asked me to walk the streets?
You know just what I'd do
If it should be born
Of love other than our own?
Would I still stand by you
Knowin' you've loved someone else?
You know just what I'd do
If my love for you meant giving up my life
Would I lay it down for you?
And if you were blind would I give you my sight?
You know just what I'd do if you ask me to
Would I live with the scar
That you carry in your heart
From another woman's war?
Would I mend your wounds for you
If I knew you needed me?
You know just what I'd do
In Loretta Lynn's song "You Know Just What I'd Do," the lyrics explore the depths of love and commitment in a relationship. The singer poses various questions and scenarios to her partner, asking if she would be willing to sacrifice her own pride, comfort, and even life, for the sake of her love for him. The song addresses themes such as loyalty, forgiveness, sacrifice, and the strength of love.
The first stanza contemplates the idea of starting over from scratch and whether or not the singer would still choose to stay on the rocky road with her partner or find a new path. The second stanza delves into the idea of raising a child that was not biologically hers, and whether she would stand by her partner despite his past experiences of loving someone else. The third stanza explores the possibility of giving up her own life or sacrificing her own abilities for her partner's wellbeing. The final stanza touches on the idea of healing emotional wounds and being a supportive partner to her loved one.
Overall, the song conveys a deep sense of devotion and love, showcasing the lengths one is willing to go for the sake of their significant other.
Line by Line Meaning
If we lost all we had
If we lost everything we owned and had to start from scratch
Would I walk your rocky road
Would I stay by your side and face the hardships with you
Take a different path?
Or would I choose to go through life without you?
Would I sell my pride for you
Would I do something that makes me uncomfortable just to make you happy
If you asked me to walk the streets?
For instance, would I do something as demeaning as begging on the streets for you?
You know just what I'd do
You know that I would do anything for you because of how much I love you
Would your child have a home
If a child were born out of love, would we raise the child as our own?
If it should be born
If the child was conceived
Of love other than our own?
outside of our own relationship
Would I still stand by you
If I found out that you had loved someone else, would I still love and support you?
Knowin' you've loved someone else?
If I knew that you had feelings for someone else in the past
If my love for you meant giving up my life
If giving up my life was the only way to show my love for you
Would I lay it down for you?
Would I be willing to die for you?
And if you were blind would I give you my sight?
If you were blind, would I give up my ability to see so that you could have it?
You know just what I'd do if you ask me to
You know how much I would do for you because of my love for you
Would I live with the scar
Would I still love and accept you despite any emotional baggage you carry?
That you carry in your heart
From a past hurt or relationship
From another woman's war?
From a fight with a previous lover
Would I mend your wounds for you
Would I help you heal from past emotional pain?
If I knew you needed me?
If I knew that my support would make a difference in helping you overcome that pain?
You know just what I'd do
You know that I would go above and beyond to help you if you needed me.
Lyrics Ā© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILL RICE, JERRY FOSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind