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.
Put your Hand in the Hand
Lynn Anderson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man
Who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself
And you can look at others differently
Put your hand in the hand of the man
From Galilee
My momma taught me how to pray
Before I reached the age of seven
When I'm down on my knees
That's when I'm closest to heaven
Daddy lived his life, two kids and a wife
Well you do what you must do
But he showed me enough of what it takes
To get me through, oh yeh!
Put your hand in the hand of the man
Who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man
Who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself
And you can look at others differently
Put your hand in the hand of the man
From Galilee
Oh yeh!
Put your hand in the hand of the man
Who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man
Who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself
And you can look at others differently
Put your hand in the hand of the man
From Galilee
Oh yeh!
Put your hand in the hand of the man
Who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man
Who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself
And you can look at others differently
Put your hand in the hand of the man
From Galilee
Oh yeh!
Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee
Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee, Oh yeh!
The lyrics to Lynn Anderson's song "Put your Hand in the Hand" invite listeners to seek out the power and guidance of Jesus Christ. Describing Him as the one who stilled the water and calmed the seas, the song encourages people to put their trust and their hope in the Son of God. In the chorus, Anderson suggests that looking at oneself differently is the first step to examining others in a different light, and she urges listeners to put their hand in the hand of the man from Galilee. The song seems to encourage hopefulness and optimism through the notions of faith and spirituality.
The verse about mommy teaching the singer to pray and the personal anecdotes regarding her father's life and lessons add a sense of personal connection and relateability to the song. The song paints a picture of how the singer was able to persevere and find strength through her own spirituality and belief in a higher power, offering a path for listeners to follow as well. Overall, the song encourages believers to find comfort in their religion and faith and to share that comfort with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water
Believe in the power of the man who can calm even the roughest of situations.
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
Have faith in the man who can bring peace to even the most tumultuous of environments.
Take a look at yourself, and you can look at others differently
Reflect on your own life before you judge others, and try to understand their struggles from their point of view.
Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee
Trust in the teachings of Jesus Christ, who was from the biblical town of Galilee.
My momma taught me how to pray, before I reached the age of seven
My mother instilled in me a belief in God and the importance of prayer from a young age.
When I'm down on my knees, that's when I'm closest to heaven
Prayer is a sacred and intimate act, and when I humble myself before God, I feel a sense of spiritual closeness to Him.
Daddy lived his life, two kids and a wife, well you do what you must do
My father did what he had to in order to provide for his family, even when it was difficult.
But he showed me enough of what it takes, to get me through, oh yeh!
Despite the challenges he faced, my father taught me important life lessons that have helped me overcome difficult situations.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GENE MAC LELLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind