I am not a huge country music fan. I have no idea who is on the charts and I don’t even know how to find the local country radio stations. But I grew up listening to Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and John Denver (along with classical, disco, and rock music). These people define “country” for me.
And now Loretta Lynn is dead.
It’s hard to describe what I’m feeling. I’m numb because the news feels fictitious. I’m sad because she was such a lovely person. I grieve for her family, because I know that they are reeling. I’m happy when I remember singing along to her on car rides.
I never knew that Loretta wrote and songs that were banned from radio stations. I listened to “The Pill” last week, and nearly laughed myself out of my chair. The woman had so many children, I completely get why she would be so happy at the advent of the pill. “Fist City” is violent, but in a way I understand and even approve of. Honestly, I would be introducing any woman hitting on my husband to my fist.
I guess it’s time to say goodbye to Loretta Lynn, the woman. Luck for us, her music will stay with us forever.
The Vampire Handbook 