Usually on these Flower Thursdays, if the is more than one type of flower in the pictures, I take the blog title from a Brandi Carlile song title. Then I include some of the lyrics from the song. I point this out because I don’t really point this out. I like to leave as much mystery as I can, but recently I was contacted by somebody that thought that those little tidbits of lyrics were a poem I wrote. I do have a certain amount of writing skills, but poetry isn’t in the arsenal. While I enjoy poetry and have my favorite poets, to write poetry takes a level of vulnerability I’m not will to get to or to show the world. And that is as vulnerable as I’m going to get on the subject.
However, today’s post doesn’t come from a Brandi Carlile song. It comes from a Loretta Lynn song. Everybody knows “Coal Miner’s Daughter”. Most people know “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man”. More people should know “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)”. “You Ain’t Woman Enough” is an undeniable classic. I absolutely love “You’re The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly”. But “Fist City” is the Loretta Lynn song I don’t think gets enough love and I’ve chosen to highlight here. An absolute banger from the beginning to the end!
It is my small tribute to Loretta Lynn after her recent passing.
You’ve been makin’ your braggs around town
That you’ve been a lovin’ my man
But the man I love
When he picks up trash
He puts it in a garbage can
And that’s what you look like to me
And what I see’s a pitty
You better close you face and stay outta my way
If you don’t wanna go to fist cityIf you don’t wanna go to fist city
You better detour around my town
‘Cause I’ll grab a you by the hair a the head
And I’ll lift off of the ground
I’m not a sayin’ my baby’s at saint
‘Cause he ain’t
And that he won’t cat around with a kitty
I’m here to tell you gal to lay off a my man
If you don’t want to go to fist cityCome on and tell me what you told my friends
If you think you’re brave enough
And I’ll show you what a real woman is
Since you think you’re hot stuff
You’ll bite off more than you can chew
If you get to cute or witty
You better move your feet
If you don’t wanna eat
A meal that’s called fist cityIf you don’t wanna go to fist city
You better detour around my town
‘Cause I’ll grab a you by the hair a the head
And I’ll lift off of the ground
I’m not a sayin’ my baby’s at saint
‘Cause he ain’t
And that he won’t cat around with a kitty
I’m here to tell you gal to lay off a my man
If you don’t want to go to fist cityI’m here to tell you gal to lay off of my man
If you don’t wanna go to fist city
“But the man I love, when he picks up the trash, he puts it in a garbage can, and that’s what you look like to me.”
OR
“If you get cute or witty, You better move your feet, if you don’t want to eat a meal that’s called fist city.”
Pure poetry to my ears.
However, Thursdays are for flowers. Here are some flower pictures:
Still plenty more flower pictures left to share on future Thursdays, methinks.
Although… one more thing. I do think that any Loretta Lynn tribute would be a failure if it didn’t mention that she was the most radio banned country artist in history. At least 13 of her songs were banned from radio stations here and there. But by far her most banned song was “The Pill”.
I thought I would share the lyrics to a song that got banned from at least 60 radio stations in the 1970s, and many radio stations still won’t play it today.
You wined me and dined me
When I was your girl
Promised if I’d be your wife
You’d show me the world
But all I’ve seen of this old world
Is a bed and a doctor bill
I’m tearin’ down your brooder house
‘Cause now I’ve got the pillAll these years I’ve stayed at home
While you had all your fun
And every year that’s gone by
Another baby’s come
There’s a gonna be some changes made
Right here on nursery hill
You’ve set this chicken your last time
‘Cause now I’ve got the pillThis old maternity dress I’ve got
Is goin’ in the garbage
The clothes I’m wearin’ from now on
Won’t take up so much yardage
Miniskirts, hot pants and a few little fancy frills
Yeah I’m makin’ up for all those years
Since I’ve got the pillI’m tired of all your crowin’
How you and your hens play
While holdin’ a couple in my arms
Another’s on the way
This chicken’s done tore up her nest
And I’m ready to make a deal
And ya can’t afford to turn it down
‘Cause you know I’ve got the pillThis incubator is overused
Because you’ve kept it filled
The feelin’ good comes easy now
Since I’ve got the pill
It’s gettin’ dark it’s roostin’ time
Tonight’s too good to be real
Oh, but daddy don’t you worry none
‘Cause mama’s got the pill
Oh, daddy don’t you worry none
‘Cause mama’s got the pill
Amazing that a song that is 50 years old is still so timely.
At the risk of sounding uncouth (in terms that Loretta may or may not condone) – both of those songs and she are all bad-ass. It is a true loss.
It is amazing to think of what country music was and compare it to what is has become. For example, she might not be the most banned country music artist of all-time now because of The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) and all they went through for criticizing Bush.
For the most part, I think their music sucks, but what they went through was grotesque.
I’ve been to a couple Women’s Rights rallies and there is almost always at least one old lady there with a sign that says, “I Can’t Believe We Still Have to Protest this Shit” or something like that.
I can’t believe that Republicans are still trying to take away birth control, particularly from women. Cause I haven’t heard of anybody wanting to ban condoms. But I’m sure they are out there too.
Also not a fan of The Chicks (although I don’t hate their cover of Landslide as much as I could). Man, do country fans (read: Republicans) hate anyone implying that guns in all forms aren’t the answer to everything.
I try and play Hank Sr, Patsy Cline, etc. for the kids. It’s morphed into something unrecognizable. I don’t hate alt-country, because it’s sort of more simple and on-brand with the roots.
Nah, it’s always women’s bodies they want to govern. Probably why they got rid of the sponge or whatever, men don’t control that. It’s true – unless we can get abortion and birth control codified, this is going to be something that happens forever and ever. Because there are all kinds of little hillbilly babies being raised around here.
I think my main problem with The Chicks is I just can’t stand the “lead” singers voice. But I would consider “Goodbye Earl” like a Bob Dylan song. It is garbage when they sing it, but when other people sing it, it is a great song. Their harmonies grate on my nerves too.
Make sure you are getting a good dose of Tom T. Hall in there too. Also Charley Pride.
I just wish people weren’t just such suckers for culture war nonsense. People getting mad because a mermaid is black or Lizzo played a flute. I mean James Madison raped his sister (a slave) and then sold their son into slavery. I’m don’t care who plays his flute. And I would feel that way if he wasn’t trash.
I have Charley Pride in the Spotify playlist, but I’ll add Tom T. Hall! I obviously also have Loretta Lynn, old Johnny Cash. Not a single Chicks song. And you’re right – “Goodbye Earl” has fantastic lyrics, but is grating when listening to their version. And I love female artists in general – just not THEM. In fairness, I have some alt-country mixed in (like Brandi Carlisle and Chris Stapleton) to flesh it out. I love Shakey Graves, but don’t have him in that list, but rather in some indie ones.
I really don’t understand the culture war stuff, either. Who cares enough to spend their precious time on earth (and it IS precious and fleeting) caring about whether or not a group that doesn’t affect you is doing something? It doesn’t affect me even a little if the Little Mermaid is black, but it opens representation options for currently-underrepresented groups of children. And I guess I don’t understand why that’s bad. There’s still the old, super-duper white version of the cartoon if people need their little dumplings to only see Caucasian half-fish/half-human characters. The bigger problem I have with The Little Mermaid is that this prince dude who is old enough to be a sea captain is JUST FINE falling in love with an underage girl who can barely walk and definitely is not worldly enough to use a fork. There’s a huge power imbalance there, and he doesn’t even notice when AN OCTOPUS IN DISGUISE with different colored hair and can actually talk just slips in as a replacement for her – because he’s clearly only interested in how she looks. Maybe that is the more problematic message for our children.
I think the crowd who are pissed about Lizzo playing the flute are the ones who likely applaud Madison being a sister-raper simply because she was a slave. “My gun, my sister, my slave, my choice,” right?
I have to confess, you have me on this one. I have never seen THE LITTLE MERMAID. At least not any movie version. I’ve seen a sculpture or two in my day, but never seen the movie.
Babysitting in the mid-90s was always accompanied by it, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin on repeat.