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.
The Little Drummer Boy
Lynn Anderson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I played a lot with Bill and Joe
They seemed to think that I was quite a guy
I could climb the highest tree
We had friendship I thought would never die
Then I changed from tomboy girl
And grew into a woman?s world
And moved away, leaving my old friends
Now I?m miles and years away
But I still dream of childhood days
And I wish I was a little girl again
CHORUS
Cause girls grow into women
And boys grow into men
And the world of make believe
All too soon must end
And I blame that awful change
For the shape my life is in
How I wish I was a little girl again
I married someone they don?t know
And socially they?re far below
The kind of life that I now live with him
The man I married is cold to me
For all his wealth he just can?t see
That love cannot be bought you have to give
I wish I?d married one of them
Instead of being here with him
If I could leave right now I think I?d go
I?d trade this mansion I hate so
For a small treehouse with Bill or Joe
I wish I was a little girl again
Chorus
Lynn Anderson's song "I Wish I Was A Little Boy Again" is a poignant reflection on the pain and nostalgia of growing up and leaving childhood behind. The song is a first-person narrative, with Anderson singing about her memories of playing with her childhood friends Bill and Joe. As a young girl, Anderson was full of life and energy, and the boys looked up to her as a leader. But as she grew up and became a woman, things changed. She left her old life behind and moved away, losing touch with her childhood friends in the process.
The song speaks to the bittersweet nature of growing up, and the pain that comes with leaving behind the carefree innocence of childhood. Anderson sings about the sense of loss and longing that she feels, and how she wishes that she could turn back time and relive those moments from her past. She reflects on the differences between her current life and the one she once knew, and how she yearns for the simplicity and joy of her childhood.
Line by Line Meaning
Just a few short years ago
I reminisce about my childhood, which seems like it was just a few years ago
I played a lot with Bill and Joe
I had really good friends, Bill and Joe, and we played together a lot
They seemed to think that I was quite a guy
Bill and Joe thought that I was really cool and looked up to me
I could climb the highest tree
I was very adventurous and brave, and could climb the highest tree
And they would always follow me
Bill and Joe would always follow me and look up to me because they thought I was a great friend
We had friendship I thought would never die
I had such a strong friendship with Bill and Joe that I thought it would last forever
Then I changed from tomboy girl
As I grew up, I started to become less of a tomboy and more of a girl
And grew into a woman’s world
I started to experience the world of adults and women
And moved away, leaving my old friends
I moved away from my old home and my good friends, and left them behind
Now I’m miles and years away
Now I live far away from my old home and my childhood friends, and many years have passed
But I still dream of childhood days
I still dream about my childhood and the happy memories I have from that time
And I wish I was a little girl again
I wish I could go back in time and relive my childhood days
Cause girls grow into women
Girls eventually grow up and become women
And boys grow into men
Boys eventually grow up and become men
And the world of make believe
The world where everything seems magical and happy, like in childhood
All too soon must end
Unfortunately, this happy world comes to an end too soon
And I blame that awful change
I blame the fact that I had to grow up and leave my childhood behind, for the problems in my life now
For the shape my life is in
For the problems and difficulties I experience in my life now
How I wish I was a little girl again
I really, really wish I could go back to being a child again, even just for a little while
I married someone they don’t know
I got married to someone who my childhood friends don't know
And socially they’re far below
My current social status is much higher than that of my childhood friends
The kind of life that I now live with him
I now live a very different kind of life with my husband, which my childhood friends wouldn't be familiar with
The man I married is cold to me
My husband is not very affectionate or caring towards me
For all his wealth he just can’t see
Even though my husband is very wealthy, he still can't see the importance of love and affection
That love cannot be bought you have to give
I believe that love cannot be bought, and that you have to give it freely to someone for it to be real
I wish I’d married one of them
I regret not marrying one of my childhood friends, Bill or Joe
Instead of being here with him
Instead of being married to my current husband
If I could leave right now I think I’d go
If it were possible, I would leave my current life and go back to my childhood and my old friends
I’d trade this mansion I hate so
I would give up this big, luxurious house that I hate so much
For a small treehouse with Bill or Joe
In exchange for a small treehouse where I could live with my childhood friends, Bill or Joe
I wish I was a little girl again
Once again, I express my strong desire to go back in time and relive my childhood
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alycia Henry
NEIL DIAMOND TODAY I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT WHEN YOU SING SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN I THINK THAT YOU GUITAR IT WELL AND ALSO I JUST WANT I TELL YOU THAT YOU PLAY YOUR GUITAR WELL BECAUSE WHEN YOU SING THAT SONG SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN I THINK THAT YOU SOUND WONDERFUL AND ALSO YOUR GUITAR SOUNDS WONDERFUL AND SO THAT IS WHY I LOVE THAT SONG YOU SING BECAUSE I THINK THAT YOUR VOICE SOUNDS WONDERFUL WHEN YOU SING NEIL DIAMOND AND SO THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU BECAUSE NEIL DIAMOND TODAY IS THE DAY THAT MY DAD IS GOING TO THE AIRPORT TO COME HOME FROM WASHINGTON D.C BECAUSE WHEN I WAS ON MY PHONE WITH MY DAD HE TOLD ME THAT HE IS GOING TO FLY BACK HOME NEIL DIAMOND I JUST WANT TO ASK HAVE YOU BEEN ON A PLANE BEFORE
Healing Through The Word
I love his voice.
Henry Smith
Sweet.........Salty...........Majestic
Rosa Maria Martinez
Muy hermosa interpretación , cómo siempre el mejor , acercándose la navidad y recordando mis tiempos de juventud con esta canción del mejor cantautor de toda mi vida NEIL DIAMOND !
Mary Sivyour
I love this Christmas song and Neil sings it beautifully
Ruth Mcadam
Love this rendition of the Christmas classic! Neil is the best!
Priyakumar T
Nailed it, nobody does it better than Neil Diamond.
Shelley Minniti
Every song he sings is awesome! My favorite performer of all time. Just saw in concert in May.🎤👍
Patricia Davis
I agree with you, Neil is my very best performer. Just love him & his voice.
Gunner Linde
Shelley Minniti hey you are right ich saw him 1984 in germany and later 2 x he s best of all