The Judds was an American country music duo of Naomi Judd (born Diana Ellen… Read Full Bio ↴The Judds was an American country music duo of Naomi Judd (born Diana Ellen Judd on 11 January 1946; died 30 April 2022) and her daughter Wynonna Judd. The duo signed to RCA Nashville in 1983 and released six studio albums between then and 1991. One of the most successful acts in country music history, the duo won five Grammy Awards for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and nine Country Music Association awards. They also had 25 singles on the country music charts between 1983 and 2000, of which 14 went to No. 1. After eight successful years as a duo, The Judds ceased performing in 1991 after Naomi Judd was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. Soon after, Wynonna Judd embarked on a highly successful solo career. The two occasionally reunited for special tours, notably in 2017 and performing "Love Can Build a Bridge" at the 2022 CMT music awards. In 2021, The Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

When Naomi Judd found herself pregnant, she quickly got married but not to the father of her first child, daughter Christina Ciminella. Christina, born May 30, 1964, became known as Wynonna Judd when the mother-daughter duo stormed the country charts in the 1980s.

After Naomi Judd divorced, she moved from Hollywood, back to Morrill, Ky., with Wynonna and another daughter Ashley. There, she worked as a nurse in a local infirmary. Outside working and school hours, she and the children would sing anything from bluegrass to showbiz standards for their own amusement. However, when Wynonna nurtured aspirations to be a professional entertainer, her mother lent her encouragement, to the extent of moving the family to Nashville in 1979. Naomi's contralto subtly underlined Wynonna's tuneful drawl.

In addition to many performances on Ralph Emery's morning television show, Naomi elicited an audition for RCA Records while tending a hospitalized relation of label producer Brent Maher. With a past that read like a Judith Krantz novel, the Judds -- so the executives considered -- would have more than an even chance in the country market. An exploratory mini-album, which contained proved the executives correct. The single "Had a Dream (From the Heart)" peaked at No. 17 in 1984. Later that year, the Judds scored their first of 14 No. 1 hits with "Mama He's Crazy."

Self-composed songs included Naomi's 1989 composition "Change of Heart," dedicated to her future second husband (and former Elvis Presley backing vocalist) Larry Strickland. Meanwhile, Maher co-wrote hits such as 1985's Grammy-winning "Why Not Me," "Turn It Loose," "Girls Night Out," "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Ol' Days)" and "Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Rain."

Most Judds records exhibited an acoustic bias and a penchant for star guests that included the Jordanaires on "Don't Be Cruel," Emmylou Harris on "The Sweetest Gift," Mark Knopfler on his "Water of Love" and Bonnie Raitt playing slide guitar on the album Love Can Build a Bridge. In 1988, the pair became the first female country act to found their own booking agency (Pro-Tours), but a chronic hepatitis infection forced Naomi to retire from the concert stage two years later.

The Judds toured America in a series of farewell concerts before Wynonna began her solo career. Wynonna got off to a strong start, as her first two singles both went to #1. Her 1994 single "Girls With Guitars" featured Naomi (as well as Lyle Lovett) on backup vocals.

In 1998, The Judds appeared in a commercial for the retail chain Kmart, singing Wynonna's single "Woman To Woman".

In 1999, Wynonna reunited with her mother for a New Year's Eve concert in Phoenix. The following year, the duo recorded four new tracks for a bonus disc issued with Wynonna's album New Day Dawning, and undertook a multi-city tour. The results were issued as the album Reunion Live. A 2004 single, "Flies On The Butter (You Can't Go Home Again)" was recorded with Naomi; however, the single was credited as "Wynonna with Naomi Judd" instead of "The Judds".

One Hundred and Two
The Judds Lyrics

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There's one hundred and one
Little reasons why
I should leave you here say goodbye
But I just can't seem to say we're through

And the reasons why
Are one hundred and two
One hundred and one

Little tears fall
And every drop

Makes me feel so small
But hard as I try
I can't leave you

And the reasons why baby
Are one hundred and two
I'm countin' up

The times I've cried
The times you'd leave
The times you lied
And everyday

I'm keeping score
When it all adds up
I need you more
One hundred and one
Lonely nights

You leave me here
Now honey, that ain't right
But, still I forgive
Everything you do

And the reasons why
Are one hundred and two
Yeah, the reasons why baby
Are one hundred and two
There's one hundred and one

Little reasons why

But, one hundred and two
Keeps me by your side

Overall Meaning

The Judds’s song One Hundred and Two, released in 1986, talks about the struggle of a woman who is unhappy in her relationship, but is unable to leave her partner despite the numerous reasons to do so. The lyrics, “There's one hundred and one little reasons why / I should leave you here say goodbye / But I just can't seem to say we're through,” are a clear indication of the dilemma she is facing.

The woman acknowledges that the reasons for her unhappiness are numerous and that every little thing her partner does causes her tears. However, despite her best efforts to leave him, she is unable to do so. The lyrics “But hard as I try / I can't leave you / And the reasons why baby / Are one hundred and two” are indicative of her struggles to leave.

As the song progresses, the woman keeps counting the number of times she has cried because of him, the number of times he has left her, and the times he has lied to her. She is keeping a score of everything that has happened between them, and yet, she still ends up forgiving him. In the lyrics, “When it all adds up / I need you more,” she is stating that despite everything, she still needs him.

Line by Line Meaning

There's one hundred and one
There are many reasons why I should leave you.

Little reasons why
These reasons are not huge, but they add up.

I should leave you here say goodbye
I should end our relationship.

But I just can't seem to say we're through
Despite everything, I am still attached to you.

And the reasons why
Here are the reasons why I am still with you.

Are one hundred and two
There are even more reasons than I first thought.

Little tears fall
I cry often because of you.

And every drop
Every tear represents my pain and suffering.

Makes me feel so small
Your actions make me feel insignificant.

But hard as I try
Even when I try to leave, I can't.

I can't leave you
I am still attached to you despite everything.