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.
Snowbird
Lynn Anderson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The unborn grass lies waiting
For its coat to turn to green
The snowbird sings the song he always sings
And speaks to me of flowers
That will bloom again in spring
When I was young my heart was young then too
That's the thing that I would do
But now I feel such emptiness within
For the thing that I want most in life's
The thing thing that I can't win
Spread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you
Where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know that I would
Fly away with you
The breeze along the river seems to say
That he'll only break me heart again
Should I decide to stay
So little snowbird take me with you
When you go
To that land of gentle breezes
Where the peaceful waters flow
Spread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you
Where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know that I would
Fly away with you
In Lynn Anderson's song "Snowbird," the singer compares the clean and cold snowfall to the waiting grass, and the snowbird's song speaks of the flowers that will bloom again in spring. The snow represents a time of waiting and anticipation, which is contrasted with the singer's sense of emptiness and unrequited love. When the singer was younger, they followed their heart, but now they feel trapped and unable to win the love they desire. The snowbird symbolizes a sense of freedom and escape, and the singer longs to fly away with it to a land of gentle breezes and peaceful waters.
The song was written by Gene MacLellan and was originally recorded by Anne Murray in 1969, becoming her first international hit. Lynn Anderson recorded her own version in 1970, which also became a hit on both the country and pop charts.
Line by Line Meaning
Beneath this snowy mantle cold and clean
Under the icy blanket of snow, waiting patiently, the grass anticipates its renewal come springtime
The unborn grass lies waiting
The grass beneath the snow waits until spring to bloom again
For its coat to turn to green
The waiting for their natural beauty of grass to bloom green again at the arrival of the spring season
The snowbird sings the song he always sings
The snowbird always sings the same song while signifying the coming of springtime through its melody
And speaks to me of flowers
The snowbird is conveying and alluding to the growth of flowers that will come into blossom once the winter season is over
That will bloom again in spring
The flowers will grow and blossom again during springtime as they always do despite the current appearance of the landscape
When I was young my heart was young then too
In my youth, my heart was inexperienced and also young
Anything that it would tell me
I would follow anything my heart would lead me towards
That's the thing that I would do
I did not have any qualms following my heart in my early years
But now I feel such emptiness within
But now, as I have aged, I feel a sense of emptiness within me
For the thing that I want most in life's
The most important yearning in my life at present
The thing thing that I can't win
Is one that I have no control over and cannot achieve
Spread your tiny wings and fly away
The singer is asking the snowbird to fly away
And take the snow back with you
The singer requests the snowbird to take the snow with it
Where it came from on that day
To take it back to its original place where it first landed/acquired by this place
The one I love forever is untrue
The artist's love is not faithful and has been revealed to be untrue
And if I could you know that I would
If given the chance, the artist would fly away with the snowbird
Fly away with you
The request for the bird to take the singer to a peaceful place away from their current struggles with unrequited love
The breeze along the river seems to say
The wind is whispering to the singer along the river
That he'll only break me heart again
The artist is concerned that their heart will be broken again
Should I decide to stay
If the artist decides to remain in their current location
So little snowbird take me with you
In desperation, the artist pleads with the small bird to take them along when it flies away
When you go
When the bird leaves this place
To that land of gentle breezes
To a place where the winds blow peacefully and steadily
Where the peaceful waters flow
To a serene place where streams, creeks or rivers ripple gently
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GENE MAC LELLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Imperialist440
As a kid I remember my Mom had this album and would play it nearly every weekend when she cleaned the house. Every song on this album (Rose Garden) is excellent. Great memories!
Patrick Sullivan
I have always loved Lynn Anderson. A beautiful person and wonderful singer. I always wanted to see her in concert. She will be missed. A truly great singer.
todd canton
Anne will forever own this tune by I have to admit that this girl does it justice!
mazzg66
Ahhhh...Thanks for adding this version. My late dad played this as I was growing up. This is fantastic
John Smith
I love this lady her music played a big part in my childhood god rest her god bless her a true legend and a beautiful angel 😇
edgardo lopez
Great voice for this Angelical song!
guybab01
edgardo lopez la maison de
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Donald Fewell
This was one of the first country songs that I remember hearing, and it's my favorite country song.
donnacheer11
Several performers sang and recorded this song but I like Lynn's rendition best. Thank u 4 posting
maleficentdiva
I like Lynn Anderson, she seems like a REAL person, she doesn't seem fake! her voice is so full of warmth and charm. :) I like Anne Murray's version too, they both are great!