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.

Smile for Me
Lynn Anderson Lyrics

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Babe we've had our share of hard times
But somehow we managed to see them through
And at last we can say with this love there's a way
Cause everything's falling in place for me and you
Babe we came so close to get enough there were times it seemed we only trained to do
That old road's been long and wide but at last we almost arrived
And everything's falling in place for me and you
Everything seems to be falling in place now

And I know that all the pieces will soon fit together for me and for you
So at last we can say with this love there's a way
Cause everything's falling in place for me and you
So at last we can say with this love there's a way

Cause everything's falling in place for me and you
Falling in place for me and you falling in place for me and you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Lynn Anderson's song "Smile for Me" are a beautiful ode to persevering through tough times and finding love that withstands everything. The first line acknowledges the hardships the couple has faced, and yet they have managed to overcome them. The second line shows that they have built a strong foundation for their relationship by seeing each other through difficult times.

The chorus makes it clear that everything is finally falling in place for the couple. They have come so close to achieving their goals, and everything is finally fitting together. The line "at last we can say with this love there's a way" means that their love has given them strength and the belief that anything is possible. The repetition of the phrase "falling in place for me and you" emphasizes that the couple is truly coming together and reaching their dreams.

Overall, this song is a beautiful and hopeful reminder that even in difficult times, love can provide a way through. It's a celebration of the fact that sometimes, despite all the obstacles, everything really does fall into place.

Line by Line Meaning