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.
Talking in Your Sleep
Lynn Anderson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it looks like it's gonna be another sleepless night
I've been listening to your dreams and gettin' very low
Wonderin' what I can do
refrain:
Maybe I'm acting foolish
'Cause I haven't heard you mention anybody's name at all
Each time you close your eyes
I've heard it said that dreamers never lie
You've been talking in you sleep
Sleeping in your dreams, with some sweet lover
Holding on so tight loving her the way
You used to love me
Talking in your sleep
With loving on your mind
refrain
You've been talking in you sleep
Sleeping in your dreams, with some sweet lover
Holding on so tight loving her the way
You used to love me
Talking in your sleep
With loving on your mind
You've been talking in you sleep
The lyrics to Lynn Anderson's "Talking in Your Sleep" tell the story of a woman who is unable to sleep due to her partner's constant sleep-talking. She reveals that she has been listening to his dreams and is unsure of what to do because he never mentions anyone's name, leaving her to question if she is still the one who turns him on. She acknowledges that "dreamers never lie" and soon discovers that her partner has been dreaming of another woman who he loves just as much as he loved her. The woman is heartbroken, realizing that her partner no longer loves her the way he used to and that he has moved on.
The song uses strong imagery to depict the pain and confusion that the woman is feeling. The use of the metaphor of sleep-talking draws a parallel to the idea that the partner is unconsciously revealing the truth about his feelings. The lyrics also touch on the universal fear of being replaced by someone else, and the desperation to hold onto a love that is slipping away.
Overall, Lynn Anderson's "Talking in Your Sleep" is a powerful song that evokes emotion and tells a relatable story of love and heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Three o'clock in the mornin'
It's really late at night
And it looks like it's gonna be another sleepless night
I can't sleep again tonight
I've been listening to your dreams and gettin' very low
I've been hearing you talk in your sleep and it makes me sad
Wonderin' what I can do
I don't know how to help you or our relationship
Maybe I'm acting foolish
I might be overreacting or being stupid
'Cause I haven't heard you mention anybody's name at all
You haven't talked about someone else in your sleep
How I wish I could be sure it's me that turns you on
I want to know for sure that you're still attracted to me
Each time you close your eyes
When you're asleep or dreaming
I've heard it said that dreamers never lie
People say that your subconscious thoughts come out when you dream
You've been talking in you sleep
You've been saying things while you're sleeping
Sleeping in your dreams, with some sweet lover
You're dreaming about being with someone else
Holding on so tight loving her the way
You're holding onto them and loving them with passion
You used to love me
You used to be in love with me but now it seems different
With loving on your mind
You have love and passion on your mind
Writer(s): Roger Cook, Bobby Wood Copyright: Embassy Music Corporation O.B.O. Chriswood Music
Contributed by John J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.