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.
If This Is Love
Lynn Anderson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been thinking quite a lot about you and I we don't get along no matter how we try
Seems to me we're always fighting always hurtin'
People say that this is love but I'm not certain
If this is love the whole world is in trouble there must be more to love than I can see
If this is love the whole world will soon be rubbled
If this is love the whole world is in trouble
We must learn to take the good times with the bad
But there haven't been too many good times in it
You and I can't get along through fifteen minutes
If this is love the whole world is in trouble it's not what I expected it to be
And just from what I seen I'm worried double
If this is love the whole world is in trouble
[ steel ]
(If this is love the whole world is in trouble)
I can really say which one of us is worst
We both tried so hard to have our last word first
When we know we're wrong nobody will admit it
If this is love I'll just as soon forget it
If this is love the whole world is in trouble I'm really just as worried as can be
If this is love the whole world will soon be rubbled
If this is love the whole world is in trouble if this is love the whole world is in trouble
Lynn Anderson's song "If This Is Love" is a reflective take on the struggles within a relationship. The lyrics highlight the constant fighting and hurt that the singer and her partner seem to experience, leading her to question if this is really what love is supposed to be. Despite the common understanding that love can be both happy and sad, the singer wonders if there should be more to it. Additionally, the lyrics touch on the difficulties of admitting fault and acknowledging mistakes within a relationship.
The repetition of the phrase "If this is love the whole world is in trouble" throughout the chorus adds emphasis to the singer's doubts and anxieties around the nature of her relationship. The use of steel guitar in the background enhances the melancholic tone and further adds to the emotional weight of the song. While the final verse seems to suggest that the singer may be ready to give up on the relationship, the overall message is one of uncertainty and confusion around what love truly means.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been thinking quite a lot about you and I we don't get along no matter how we try
Despite my constant reflection on our relationship, we are unable to get along despite numerous attempts.
Seems to me we're always fighting always hurtin'
Our relationship is characterized by constant conflict and emotional pain.
People say that this is love but I'm not certain
Although others have labeled our relationship as love, I am unsure if that is an accurate description.
If this is love the whole world is in trouble there must be more to love than I can see
If our relationship is truly representative of love, then the concept of love must involve more than what I am able to perceive.
They say love is sometimes happy sometimes sad We must learn to take the good times with the bad
Although love may involve both joy and pain, it is important for us to learn to accept both aspects of it.
But there haven't been too many good times in it You and I can't get along through fifteen minutes
Our relationship has been largely characterized by negative experiences and we are unable to get along for even short periods of time.
And just from what I seen I'm worried double
Based on what I have observed in our relationship, I am twice as concerned about the state of love in the world.
I can really say which one of us is worst We both tried so hard to have our last word first When we know we're wrong nobody will admit it If this is love I'll just as soon forget it
Neither of us is blameless in the challenges that we face, as we both prioritize being right over finding common ground. Additionally, neither of us is willing to concede when we are in the wrong, leading me to question whether our relationship truly represents love.
If this is love the whole world is in trouble I'm really just as worried as can be
If our relationship serves as an example of love, then the state of love in the world is concerning to me.
If this is love the whole world will soon be rubbled
If our relationship is representative of love, then love has the potential to cause widespread destruction and damage.
If this is love the whole world is in trouble if this is love the whole world is in trouble
The implication that our relationship accurately represents love causes me to worry about the state of love in the entire planet.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Alan Gordon Anderson, Craig Michael Wiseman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind