Lynn Rene Anderson (September 26, 1947 – July 30, 2015) was a multi-award-w… Read Full Bio ↴Lynn Rene Anderson (September 26, 1947 – July 30, 2015) was a multi-award-winning American country music singer known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, most notably her 1970 country-pop, worldwide megahit "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden". Anderson's crossover appeal and regular exposure on national television helped her to become one of the most popular and successful country singers of the 1970s.

Anderson charted 12 No. 1, 18 Top 10, and more than 50 Top 40 hits. In addition to being named "Top Female Vocalist" by the Academy of Country Music (ACM) twice and "Female Vocalist of the Year" by the Country Music Association (CMA), Anderson won a Grammy Award (earning seven nominations), People's Choice Award and an American Music Award (AMA). She was named Billboard's Female Artist of the Decade (1970–1980).

Anderson was the first female country artist to win the American Music Award (in 1974), as well as the first to headline and sellout Madison Square Garden that same year.

Anderson debuted in 1966, at the age of 19, and had her first hit with Ride, Ride, Ride. After a series of Top 10 hit singles on the country charts during the late 1960s, Anderson signed with Columbia Records in 1970. Under Columbia, she had her most successful string of hits. Her signature song, "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden", remains one of the biggest selling country crossover hits of all time. In addition, the song also went to No. 3 on the Billboard Pop Chart and reached the top of the charts in several countries, an unprecedented achievement at the time. CMT ranks "Rose Garden" at No. 83 on its list of the "100 Greatest Songs in Country Music History". Anderson continued to record and remained a popular concert attraction until her death, regularly headlining major casino showrooms, performing arts centers and theaters.

She grew up in Sacramento, California with her mother, acclaimed singer-songwriter Liz Anderson who wrote "The Fugitive" and "(All My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers", both Merle Haggard hits, among others. She began her solo career in 1966 with "In Person", followed by a hit with her mother's "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)".

In 1968 she married Glenn Sutton, a future Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, with whom she had a daughter, Lisa. (They divorced in 1977.)

Consistent hits followed, and she was a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show during the 1967-68 season. In 1969 Anderson signed to Columbia where her work veered a bit more toward a polished, pop sound. She released her signature song, "Rose Garden" in late 1970. The song, written by Joe South, won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance reached number 1 on the U.S. country charts, and also hit number 3 on the pop charts, as well as being a hit in fifteen countries. Anderson also received Grammy nominations for her recordings "Big Girls Don't Cry" (1968), "That's a No No" (1969), and "How Can I Unlove You" (1971)> Anderson's other hits during this period included "You're My Man", "Listen to a Country Song", "Top of the World" (a number 1 country record for Anderson before becoming a pop hit for The Carpenters), "Cry", "Keep Me in Mind", "What a Man My Man Is" and "Smile For Me". In 1971, she was voted Top Female Vocalist of the year by both the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association. Anderson charted eight no.one singles, 18 Top-Tens and earned a total of 17 international Gold records. She was perhaps the most in-demand country female vocalist on network television throughout the 1970's but after 1975 her records usually peaked in the top 20 as opposed to her earlier top ten success.

Anderson married a Louisiana businessman in 1978. The second marriage produced two more children, and she was divorced in 1982.

Anderson remained one of the top female country singers into the 1980's. Her last top ten record was 1984s "You're Welcome to Tonight". During the late 1980's and early 1990s, she received much press for her disputes with her now-divorced second husband. After spending time on her ranch, raising horses and participating in equestrian events, she began recording again in 1992.

"The Bluegrass Sessions", released in 2004, earned Anderson her first Grammy nomination in over 30 years.

That same year Anderson was arrested in Denton, Texas, for drunk driving.

The American Rose Society created and named in her honor a white and raspberry hybrid tea rose.

Anderson released a new CD of original songs entitled "Cowgirl" in 2006, all of the songs penned by her mother, the acclaimed songwriter Liz Anderson.

Cry
Lynn Anderson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I put my little girl to bed
With teardrops in her eyes
All day I've tried to comfort her
And louder were her cries
I left her there to say her
Prayers and stepped outside the door
The prayer I heard was one I
Knew I'd never heard before

Please have my mommy ask my
Daddy to come home
Sometimes I'll cry and get my
Way and mommy's so alonе
She told me once that whеn I'm
Right I never should give in
So if at first I don't
Succeed I'll cry cry again

I know our little girl is right
And we're both in the wrong
And so I've called you up tonight
To ask you please come home
I can't go on or stand for
Long the way she cries today
And I can't go to sleep at
Night because I heard her pray

Please have my mommy ask my
Daddy to come home
Sometimes I'll cry and get my
Way and mommy's so alone
She told me once that when I'm
Right I never should give in

So if at first I don't
Succeed I'll cry cry again

Overall Meaning

The song "Cry" by Lynn Anderson is a classic country song that speaks about the importance of crying as a way to cope with heartbreak and difficult emotions. The lyrics suggest that when someone receives a letter of goodbye from their sweetheart, it's natural to feel better after crying. It's also natural to feel like bad dreams are real, but they are just false emotions. The song acknowledges that when heartache lingers and the blues continue to get bluer, it's essential to remember that sunshine can be found behind the cloudy sky, and crying can help someone move on.

The lyrics of "Cry" emphasize the importance of allowing oneself to feel emotions fully. Crying can be seen as a means of purging emotions and allowing oneself to heal. The song acknowledges that crying isn't a negative or shameful experience and is instead a necessary part of the healing process. The lyrics encourage listeners to let their head down and cry, suggesting that it's essential to acknowledge and process painful emotions rather than suppressing them.

Overall, "Cry" is a comforting and relatable song that speaks to the human experience of heartbreak and emotional pain. It acknowledges the importance of crying as a means of coping and reminds listeners that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a brighter future.

Line by Line Meaning

If your sweetheart sends a letter
When you receive a goodbye letter from your partner

Of goodbye
The letter is a farewell message

It's no secret you feel better
It's a known fact that crying can make you feel better

If you cry
By shedding tears, you can release your emotions

When waking from a bad dream
Upon waking up after having a nightmare

Don't you sometimes think it's real
Do you ever feel like the dream was a real situation?

But it's only false emotions
However, the emotions you experienced were not based in reality

That you feel
You were only imagining those feelings

If your heartaches seem to hang around
If you are unable to shake off feelings of pain and hurt

Too long
If these feelings persist for an extended period of time

And your blues keep getting bluer
If you keep feeling sadder and more hopeless