LORETTA LYNN

(Q)-What’s the story behind your album?

(LL)- Before I recorded my album, I had that flu that was going around. That real bad flu. So when the time come to pick the songs for this new album, I really didn’t have the time to pick the songs. But anyway, when we did have the time to go into the studio to cut the songs, I did it like I always did it.

With the band and the Dixie Chicks daddy played pedal steel part on the one track and I love the way it turned out. You know, I can’t to hear them (newcomers to country music) say, they go in and cut one line, then they go I and six months later they cut the next line. That’s ridiculous.(Loretta is referring to the fact that she likes to record her music with the full band present in the studio as opposed to track by track as many newcomers are doing these days in country music.)

(Q)- Many are not even present these days for the entire recording process, they jump off of the bus karaoke it and then they’re off touring for another six months.
(LL)- Yes, this is true. And they got it fixed now where, if you go flat or sharp, they can fix it (in the mix in the recording studio) and I don’t like that.

(Q)- So your new album “Still Country”, is pure you?

(LL)- Yes it is. There’s a song on it called “God’s Country” and…. I haven’t even got all of my stuff (songs she’s written) together because someone stole it. Because someone stole all of my songs that I’ve written.

(Q)-You mean the songs that you have written over the years have disappeared basically?
(LL)- They walked in and took the whole box of songs I had written over the last thirty years. And….what can I do? I mean there’s nothing I can do.

(Q)- Has the material ever been found?
(LL)- Never found ’em. We found the guy that did take some stuff out of the house and took the guitar but we never did get it back or anything like that.

(Q)- So we were starting from scratch (On her new album.) but it came from the heart.

(LL)- This is true. But we ah…. On my box set, I’m gonna do a box set soon, I would like to have at least half of it the songs that I’ve written. Because people love to hear the songs I’ve written. They (Her fans.) just say, ‘Why don’t you write ’em?’ Today, they don’t write (country songs) like they used to. They have four or five people write.

(Q)- I think that’s because Loretta, my I call you Loretta?
(LL)- Yeah. That’s my name (she laughs).

(Q)- Many of today’s songwriters, don’t have the life experience to put into the song, so there’s really not all that much there. (Substance and actual life experiences that are easily identified with by others.) Agree? Disagree?

(LL)- Yes. I know. You’ll get a song and it’ll be through four publishing companies and four writers and it’s very hard for me to look at (consider to record) a song like that and say, ‘Hey, this is the real thing.’ I cut “Country In My Genes”(track on her new album)because the boy came down to my camping ground and when they came down there, they’d come and listen to my show. And they pushed me so many songs. (Music Row song pitchers offered many demo tapes of songs she could potentially record.) And this was the only one I took because I knew by listening to it, they’d listened to my show, because everything in this song, I say on-stage (In her live show.) So I said to them, ‘Put my name on it’. (she laughs) Of course, they laughed at that too.

(Q)- What is it like for you to write your own songs? How do you go about songwriting?
(LL)- I like to be alone. And I go into this person that I’m livin’. Whatever the song says, I really turn into that person. And, when I’m alone, go into that person who the song is about.(Loretta embodies the subject of her song writing.)

(Q)- Country needs more of that in the songs that are on radio? Don’t you agree that country music(radio) needs more good OLE fashioned testifiers, like the songs that you do(record)?

(LL)-Yes, because that’s life. (The subjects that traditional country songs are primarily about.) and, everybody lives it. And there is three things that never gets OLE fashioned. And that’s the Bible, cheatin’ and that’s love. And when you leave those out of a song and you don’t really write that song and put your soul into a song, then you don’t have a song (True country song.) You have something out there that maybe sounds like a song but it don’t say anything. You know I’ve listened to some of the songs (That are currently popular at country radio.) and it don’t’ say anything. (Q)- Are you going to be touring in support of your new album, “Still Country”?
(LL)- Honey, I’ve been doing that and I’m going to be doing more of that, and I’ve got a new book coming out too. And ah, I want to cut a new box set and put it out about the time the box set comes out.

(Q)- So you’re going to be really busy over the next few months?
(LL)-You got that right. But, I like to work and I like to write, so that’s what I’m doing.

(Q)-On the subject why now, why a second book at this time?
(LL)-The book is written, it’s in the publishers hands right now. You see the other one (book) was just a hit and run thing, it started when I was just thirteen and it ended when I was thirty-four, like when I come out with the book, that’s what my age was. Well, I hadn’t lived…, when I was fifteen, I was thirty-five and when I was thirty-five I was fifteen. So really, I had not lived. (Long enough to write a book based on her life.) And I couldn’t understand why people wanted to write about my life. And I think this book will have the hurt, the happiness… it’ll have my life.

(Q)-How are things going with your twin daughters the Lynns? Are they planning to have another album and any projects with you?
(LL)- You know Patsy had two babies. Do they had to take some time off. But they’ve got an album coming out real soon.

(Q)-Have you ever thought of doing a television show, like a TV sitcom, with your two daughters?(Her twin daughters are the country duo The Lynns.)

(LL)- That’s what we’re going to do now, is a sitcom. And, I’ve been so busy that I’ve been kind of sayin’ ,’No. no. not right now.’ But the girls, they’re fixing to have a new record out and they’re on the road with me. I take ’em on the road with me. We get out on-stage together and we sing together and we may record together too. They wanted me to do a song on this last album (The Lynns next album?) but I haven’t got around to it yet, because I’ve been so busy me and Crystal and Peggy, my other sister, we’re getting songs ready together to record too. So I’ve got so many irons in the fire, that it’s tough.

(Q)- So you and your daughters (The Lynns) may consider doing your own TV sitcom?
(LL)- Yes, they’re working on that right now.

(Q)- The Bible and The Good Lord are the central subjects to many of your songs. Do you feel that The good lord has guided your life and career?
(LL)- Yes I do. You know what? I’ve always felt, even since I started at seventeen, trying to read the Bible. And, if you know where I’ve come from and if you’ve been the, then you know why I had a hard time readin’. (The Bible, or reading material in general?) Well, we had a one room school house and I was the one who helped the teacher, because we had three an four a year come and a go. (Since Loretta was an older child was she attending a one room school house with other students whom were considerably younger then herself? Was she a “teacher’s aide during her school years?” So I felt that God, when he took me out of Butcher Hollow, (Kentucky), I thought well God is a havin’ me by the hand, even way back then. And I think he’s lead me by the hand, all the way. I really do. Without him I don’t think I’d be here right now talking to you.

(Q)-You don’t hear the spiritual side of life in our times stressed as much in country songs, especially on the top forty pop-sounding country songs today?
(LL)-No you don’t. You don’t hear the life, you don’t hear life in it. You just hear a song and maybe the melody is good and they’re playing it because it’s easy to listen to. But, I’ve talked to a lot of people and they’ve said to me,’ Well, it (A modern country-pop song.) don’t make you sad and it don’t’ make you happy. So, if you just listen to it, then you’re not happy and you’re not sad neither.’ And I said,’ But that’s a heck of a way to live.’ Isn’t it?

(Q)- Agreed. The time is right for more traditional country songs with real honest lyrics about everyday reality. Maybe the gatekeepers at country radio won’t get it but, look at George Strait and the success he’s had with his music and his tour. I mean, he’s selling out stadiums! Don’t you receive feedback from the fans that there’s a hunger for real traditional-based country music to make a comeback within the country-pop genre?
(LL)- But the younger (country) artists, they don’t want to hear country, they want to hear pop. They think that that’s gonna be it. But they come to Nashville to make it. When they make it, then they’ve left Nashville. I mean….the song that they come out with first, they kind of left that side of them(their music) leave and then they went into pop real bad. You know?

(Q)- Yes.
(LL)- And, in doing that, I think they let down country music. But country (music) will never be let down (all the way) it started here and it will always be country, no matter what.

(Q)-As big issue is what is a country song and what is not a country song.

(LL)- You know what country is today? Any country! (she laughs) It’ll work in any country. You see, the Grand OLE Opry was America. We had something so strong and so different and no other country had it. But they left it and they (foreigners) would come here, people from Japan, China and Russia, they’d come here to record. They were wantin’ to get the Nashville Sound. Well, they’d take back any country with them when they wanted to go back, because this is what they’ve recording.

(Q)-Country music is popular all over the world right now, but maybe traditional country music just isn’t popular on music row.
(LL)-Yes.

(Q)- Do you hear any of the traditional influences in country music anymore? The Top Forty country-pop hits that is?

(LL)-Not really. I just hear a sound and I don’t know who it is or what it is, until I look at the video. Because, no one (in country music top forty today) has their own sound like we used to have. It used to be, when the record started to play the music, you knew who it was before the singer even stared singing. Today, they’re all singin’ alike.

(Q)-There’s isn’t that much difference between some of the artists.
(LL)- Unless you’ve heard it over and over or you’ve seen the video, you’ll never, ever know (who it is).

(Q)- Would you tell me the story behind the song “I Can’t Hear The Music” from your new album “Still Country”?
(LL)- is that the one where Doo (her deceased husband) kept telling me he couldn’t hear the music anymore?

(Q)- Yes, would you tell me the story behind that song please?
(LL)- Well, he kept tellin’ me, he said, ‘I can’t hear the music anymore.’ But I didn’t know that he was going deaf, you know. I didn’t know he couldn’t see. Because I got him a new pair of (eye) glasses and I’d got him those little tiny hearin’ aids, you know? But, we went through all of that and we got him a new leg, and they took the second one off. So I think he give up then. But, he kept telling me that (phrase) but I thought that he didn’t want me in the business anymore. Well, I would’ve never gone out on the road with him sick in the first place. So, it was five years you know, that I didn’t go out on the road.

(Q)- So that song is kind of special to say the least?
(LL)- Yeah. So I told one of my writers Cody (James),’ This is the story (behind the song) and I cannot write it because every time I start to write this song, I start to cry. And of course I was cryin’ on the record and we never did get it without me cryin’, so….

(Q)- What is your schedule like for the rest of the year?
(LL)- The rest of the year is packed. I’m hittin’ the TV, on a count of the record and the book. I’m workin’ hard until the end of the year. Startin’ already, I’m workin’ hard (she laughs).

(Q)- You’ve traveled so often so far and wide.
(LL)- Something like, ‘Well why pull the shades up?’ (When she’s traveling Loretta Lynn insists on keeping the shades in her private quarters on her tour bus down.) the when you get on the bus where you can rest and watch TV, you can rest and watch TV or write songs. You don’t want to have to look out the window.

(Q)- And yet, the world has changed and is different outside of that room or bus. Your music has not really changed, so maybe that was a good attitude to have.
(LL)- Yes. Maybe for my next record, they’ll be more of my songs on my album. My next album is goin’ to be a box set, so they’ll be more of my songs on it. I’m also goin’ to have a book out around the time of my box set. My book starts with my first memory and just in case I haven’t told you, it’ll end with the last thought on my mind at the time (Whenever she finished the book which is tentatively scheduled for a January 20001 release to the public.)

(Q)- How has country changed for you for the good and or the bad?

(LL)- OK. One of the things I have noticed in the business is that people aren’t true to each other like they used to be. They’re not loyal to each other. It used to be, if you had a piano player, no other star or artist would take this piano player until he had quit or was looking for another job. And that would have to be like a month. You know, now a days an musician will just up and leave you and go on with somebody else. But I’m still from the old school, I would not fire someone without lettin’ him know a month (ahead) you know? I was talkin’ to a musician at the Grand OLE Opry the other day and I was sayin’,’ You know back in the day when I started, it would be nothing to be lookin’ for a drummer because they would give you a month to have another one aleady.’ An another artist would not hire a drummer or piano player until, they knew it was done right.

(Q)- In other words, it’s (the country music industry) has become highly competitive.
(LL)- Yeah, it’s awful. And they’re taking these little kids and they’re getting’ everything they can out of them and the kids won’t have a penny by the time they’re twenty. You know that’s true. And uh, what else can I say? </br.(ll)-yes.>