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.
Harper Valley PTA
Lynn Anderson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Bout the Harper Valley widow wife
Who had a teenage daughter
Who attended Harper Valley Junior High
Well, her daughter came home one afternoon
And didn't even stop to play and she said
Mom, I got a note here
Well the note said mrs johnson
You're wearing your dresses way too high
And it's reported you've been drinking
And a runnin' round with men and goin' wild
And we don't believe
You oughta be a bringin' up
Your little girl this way
And it was signed by the
Secretary Harper Valley PTA
Well, it happened that the PTA was
Gonna meet that very afternoon
And they were sure surprised
When Mrs Johnson wore her
Miniskirt into the room
And as she walked up to the blackboard
I can still recall the words she had to say
She said I'd like to address this
Meeting of the Harper Valley PTA
Now there's Bobby Taylor sittin' there
And seven times he asked me for a date
And Mrs taylor sure seems to use
A lotta ice whenever he's away
And Mr baker, can you tell us why
Your secretary had to leave this town
And shouldn't Widow Jones be told to keep
Her window shades all pulled completely down
Well, Mr Harper couldn't be here
'Cause he stayed too long
At Kelly's Bar again
And if you smell Shirley Thompson's breath
You'll find she's had a little nip of gin
And when you have the nerve to tell me
You think that as a mother I'm not fit
Well, this is just a little Peyton Place
And you're all Harper Valley hypocrites
No, I wouldn't put you on
Because it really did it
Happened just this way
The day my mama socked it
To the Harper Valley PTA
The day my mama socked it
To the Harper Valley PTA
In the lyrics of "Harper Valley PTA" by Lynn Anderson, the singer narrates the story of a widow named Mrs. Johnson and her teenage daughter who goes to Harper Valley Junior High. The daughter brings home a note from the Harper Valley PTA that accuses Mrs. Johnson of inappropriate behavior - wearing dresses too high, drinking, and associating with men. The PTA doesn't think Mrs. Johnson is setting a good example for her daughter. The note was signed by the secretary of the PTA.
When the PTA meeting takes place later that day, Mrs. Johnson confronts the group. She surprises them by wearing a miniskirt and boldly addressing the accusations made against her. She calls out the hypocrisy within the PTA, pointing out the questionable behaviors of some of the members. Mrs. Johnson questions Bobby Taylor's persistent advances and Mrs. Taylor's reliance on alcohol in her husband's absence. She also questions Mr. Baker about his secretary leaving town and Widow Jones about her window shades.
As Mrs. Johnson continues to speak, she exposes the flaws and secrets of the PTA members. She mentions Mr. Harper's absence due to drinking at Kelly's Bar, Shirley Thompson's alcohol consumption, and the judgmental attitudes of the PTA towards her mothering skills. Mrs. Johnson compares the situation to a small-town scandal, reminiscent of the drama in the novel "Peyton Place". She labels the members of the PTA as hypocrites and challenges their authority to criticize her.
In the end, Mrs. Johnson stands her ground and asserts her right to live her life according to her own terms. She defies the judgment of the Harper Valley PTA and proudly declares that her mother, portrayed in the lyrics as "mama", stood up to them. The song celebrates individuality, empowerment, and the courage to challenge societal norms and expectations. It serves as a defiant anthem against conformity and reveals the power of standing up for oneself in the face of judgment.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna tell you all the story
I want to share with you the tale
'Bout the Harper Valley widow wife
About the widow in Harper Valley
Who had a teenage daughter
She had a young daughter
Who attended Harper Valley Junior High
Who went to the junior high in Harper Valley
Well, her daughter came home one afternoon
One day, her daughter came home
And didn't even stop to play and she said
Without even stopping to play, she spoke
Mom, I got a note here
I have a note, mom
From the Harper Valley PTA
From the PTA in Harper Valley
Well the note said mrs johnson
The note was about Mrs. Johnson
You're wearing your dresses way too high
Your hemlines are too high
And it's reported you've been drinking
They say you've been drinking
And a runnin' round with men and goin' wild
Running around with men and behaving recklessly
And we don't believe
We don't believe
You oughta be a bringin' up
That you should be raising
Your little girl this way
Your daughter in this manner
And it was signed by the
And it was signed by
Secretary Harper Valley PTA
The secretary of the Harper Valley PTA
Well, it happened that the PTA was
The PTA was about to meet
Gonna meet that very afternoon
Going to meet that same afternoon
And they were sure surprised
And they were quite surprised
When Mrs Johnson wore her
When Mrs. Johnson wore
Miniskirt into the room
A miniskirt into the room
And as she walked up to the blackboard
And as she approached the blackboard
I can still recall the words she had to say
I can still remember the words she spoke
She said I'd like to address this
She said she wanted to talk about
Meeting of the Harper Valley PTA
The meeting of the Harper Valley PTA
Now there's Bobby Taylor sittin' there
Now Bobby Taylor is sitting there
And seven times he asked me for a date
And he asked me out seven times
And Mrs taylor sure seems to use
And Mrs. Taylor appears to rely
A lotta ice whenever he's away
On a lot of excuses when he's not around
And Mr baker, can you tell us why
And Mr. Baker, can you explain why
Your secretary had to leave this town
Your secretary had to depart from this town
And shouldn't Widow Jones be told to keep
Shouldn't Widow Jones be advised to keep
Her window shades all pulled completely down
Her window shades completely closed
Well, Mr Harper couldn't be here
Mr. Harper couldn't attend
'Cause he stayed too long
Because he lingered
At Kelly's Bar again
At Kelly's Bar once more
And if you smell Shirley Thompson's breath
And if you detect the scent of Shirley Thompson's breath
You'll find she's had a little nip of gin
You'll discover she's had a bit of gin
And when you have the nerve to tell me
And when you dare to inform me
You think that as a mother I'm not fit
You believe I'm unfit to be a mother
Well, this is just a little Peyton Place
This is like a small scandalous town
And you're all Harper Valley hypocrites
And you're all hypocrites in Harper Valley
No, I wouldn't put you on
No, I wouldn't deceive you
Because it really did it
Because it really occurred
Happened just this way
Just like this
The day my mama socked it
The day my mother stood up
To the Harper Valley PTA
Against the Harper Valley PTA
The day my mama socked it
The day my mother stood up
To the Harper Valley PTA
Against the Harper Valley PTA
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Tom T. Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kkiilljjooy
Harper Valley P.T.A. (single) - Jeannie C. Riley
MP3 download: https://amzn.to/3lak1o2
@rayfreeman3586
Jennie c. Rilly is a pretty lady
@tdotjazzberryram61
Remember the song as a little girl my mum bought the single , then the show with Barbara Eden. Anybody here in 2019 for the Ken Burns PBS documentary? 😁🇨🇦🇯🇲 ? Great music no matter the genre crosses all cultures or wherever you come from. 😃👍
@susanhess8396
@@rayfreeman3586 obviously! : )
@michaelking568
@@rayfreeman3586to to to to xx
@rachelavery2391
Linda Davis the crystal chandelier all I have to offer you is me
@brian22067
Culturally significant. The future generations will thank you for putting this on YouTube
@mto_aerial
I remember as a kid, my mom singing along with this when it came on the radio while she was cleaning the house.
RIP Mom ❤
@mwillblade
Awesome memory my friend.
@NathanFCox
Got the feels....my mom would always turn this up on the radio and started to dance around. My mom passed in 2020 and I play this song once a week in her loving memory