Released May 7, 1971 (U.S.) Genre Country Label Decca 32851 | Format 7" Length 2:17 Writer(s) Loretta Lynn | |
"You're Lookin' at Country" is a country music song written and made famous by Loretta Lynn in mid 1971.
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About the song
Lynn wrote "You're Lookin' At Country" in response to viewing the open country while touring on the road. Lynn said in an interview that she was inspired by all the meadows and hills that she saw while passing through the country to write this song. The song was unlike anything Lynn had been releasing at the time, besides "Coal Miner's Daughter" from the previous year. This was because the song did not speak of the common subjects Lynn often used in her songs such as, drunk husbands, adultery, and fighting back.
"You're Lookin' At Country" is about Lynn describing how "Country" she is by saying she loves running through corn fields and singing a country hymn. She later goes on to say, if you're lookin' at me, you're lookin' at country, which is the ultimate summary of the song. The song grew quite a response from listeners, and has been said to be one of Lynn's signature songs.
In the 1980 motion picture biography of Lynn, Coal Miner's Daughter, Sissy Spacek (who plays Loretta) sings "You're Lookin' At Country" during a concert twice in the film. Spacek sang Lynn's hits herself, and later won her an Academy Award for doing so.
The song was covered by Carrie Underwood as part of the Loretta Lynn tribute album, Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn. The album was released on November 9, 2010.
Lynn performed the song at the 2014 Country Music Association Awards along with fellow country singer Kacey Musgraves.
Chart performance
Decca records released Lynn's song in May 1971. "You're Lookin' At Country" peaked at No. 5 on the Country charts in mid-1971, and an album of the same name was released. The album and the single sold fairly well. The album only released the one single, which was common for the time. Although the song did not reach No. 1 (Lynn had sixteen No. 1s), it did become one of her signature songs.