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.
That's What Loving You Has Meant to Me
Lynn Anderson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or see a prisoner smile when the warden says you're free
Or a sinner cry with happiness when the Lord just filled his needs
Well that's what loving you has meant to me
Did you ever stand beside someone when you knew that they were wrong
Or watch an acorn grow into a tree
Did you ever have your ship come in when you thought that it was lost
Well that's what loving you has meant to me
If there's such a place as heaven then this is hit for me
I'll never want somebody new when your world ends then mine ends too
That's what loving you has meant to me
That's what loving you has meant to me...
The song "That's What Loving You Has Meant to Me" by Lynn Anderson is a heartfelt expression of love and gratitude towards a significant other. The lyrics describe the immense joy and fulfillment that love can bring to one's life. The verses paint vivid pictures of various situations where happiness is found - like the joy a young child experiences when given their first puppy, or the elation felt by a prisoner who is granted freedom. The chorus repeats the sentiment that all of these experiences are what loving the person meant to the singer.
The second verse delves a little deeper and explores the idea of standing beside someone even when you know they are wrong, and the satisfaction that comes from watching something grow and flourish. The final lines of the song declare the singer's unwavering commitment to their partner - "I'll never want somebody new, when your world ends then mine ends too".
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of a deep and lasting love, one that brings immense joy and meaning to the singer's life. It is a powerful expression of the transformative power of love and the profound impact it can have on a person's outlook and well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you ever watched a youngster's eyes when you gave him his first puppy
Have you ever observed the wonder in the eyes of a child receiving their first puppy?
Or see a prisoner smile when the warden says you're free
Or witnessed a prisoner grinning with joy as they receive their freedom?
Or a sinner cry with happiness when the Lord just filled his needs
Or seen a repentant person weeping with joy as their needs are met by God?
Well that's what loving you has meant to me
That's the same incredible feeling that loving you has brought to my life.
Did you ever stand beside someone when you knew that they were wrong
Have you ever offered support to someone even when you knew they were in the wrong?
Or watch an acorn grow into a tree
Or observed the miraculous transformation of an acorn into a towering tree?
Did you ever have your ship come in when you thought that it was lost
Have you ever been reunited with something you thought was lost, like a ship returning to port?
Well that's what loving you has meant to me
These are the same feelings of joy that loving you has brought into my life.
That's what loving you has meant to me
Loving you has brought me such indescribable joy and fulfillment.
If there's such a place as heaven then this is hit for me
If there is a heaven, then loving you has brought me a taste of it while still on Earth.
I'll never want somebody new when your world ends then mine ends too
I will never seek someone else's love because if your world ends, then mine will also come to an end.
That's what loving you has meant to me
My love for you has touched my life in ways that I will always be grateful for.
That's what loving you has meant to me...
That's the depth of emotion that you have brought into my life, and will continue to do so.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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