In 1966, Loretta Lynn released the biggest hit of her career to this point, “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man).” It was produced by none other than the pioneer of the Nashville recording industry, the legendary Owen Bradley, who delivered heaps of Loretta Lynn songs into the 1980s.
“You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)” featured the best of the best of Nashville’s session players – who Bradley brought on recordings for all the country superstars from his unfaltering Decca Records, such as Conway Twitty and Bill Anderson. It’s little wonder how the song reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
Loretta Lynn Told A Story Of How The Song Came To Life
“You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)” finds Loretta Lynn confronting a woman who’s going after her husband. She showed her strong side as she made it clear that she was never going to give up on her man.
In one episode of the award-winning PBS television series American Masters, the country legend revealed what prompted her to write a fierce ballad. According to Lynn, one young fan managed to sneak into her dressing room before she was about to perform at one of her concerts.
The fan confided to Lynn that another woman – who was apparently in the audience – was trying to steal her husband. The country superstar got a good look at the woman before telling her, “Honey, she ain’t woman enough to take your man!” Truly, it’s one of the best acts of female solidarity.
From there, all Lynn needed was a quiet dressing room, a piece of paper, and ten minutes to write what would become her greatest hit. Make sure to listen to “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)” by Loretta Lynn in the video below.