Two for Tuesday 8/15/2023 Loretta Lynn and Dottie West #twofortues

This week’s Two for Tuesday songs are classic country songs by legendary female artists.

You’re Lookin’ at Country by Loretta Lynn

and

Country Sunshine by Dottie West

The inspiration for Loretta Lynn to write You’re Lookin’ at Country (1971) came from her appreciation of the wide open country she traveled through while on tour. While she didn’t have romance in mind when she conceived the song, she said in an interview that she knew she had to make it a love song or it wouldn’t sell. The song reached No. 5 in the U.S.

Dottie West co-wrote Country Sunshine. The song released in 1973. The song was originally prepared as a TV jingle for Coca-Cola. After it became an annoying jingle-earworm, the song was issued as a single for her to capitalize on its commercial success and familiarity. It reached the No. 2 spot in the U.S. and was one of her bigger career successes.

Country Sunshine tells the story of a girl who has country running through her veins, but her boyfriend/significant other wants her to move to the city. She ultimately declines to leave. The lure of the excitement of city life is strong, but she was raised on country sunshine.

You’re Lookin’ at Country tells the story of a girl who explains to a potential partner that she loves everything about the country. Being a country girl, born and raised, she can’t imagine living any other way. She loves such things as running barefooted through corn fields and she loves country ham, neither of which are part of a city-dwelling life.

The common themes that join these two songs are 1) the girls’ love of where they grew up—their hearts are in the country and, 2) both of the girls’ love interests will have to either say goodbye and go back to the city or the love interests will have to stay in the country with the girls.