Music Monday: Stand by Your Man, Tammy Wynette
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a song for Music Monday – I’ve decided to only post these on the last Monday of the month going forward. Life gets busy and I’m also curating content on topics of importance to readers of Memphis; music, domestic violence and alcoholism, among others. The songs posted previously are ones mentioned in my novel and so is this one.
This is the track that Memphis reluctantly sings to her husband Johnny during a singing competition at the beginning of the novel. It seems like a love song -a tune of unwavering devotion. But I’ve always found it to be a sad song advising to consider that “..he’s just a man” and to “forgive him” because he’s “..doing things that you don’t understand.” A ballad for married woman to stand by your man even if he cheats because he’s just a man and well, he just can’t help himself. My thoughts on this song really drove the creation of the singing competition scene.
Tammy Wynette was the original co-writer of this classic tune. My grandmother played this when I was a kid and it stuck with me for years somehow bringing out Deja Vu years later when I heard it on the radio and Shazam-ed it. Then and there it became apart of my novel -before I even began the first draft. “Stand by Your Man” has been redone by the band formerly known as “The Dixie Chicks”, now simply known as “The Chicks”. The Chicks remake is a contrasting upbeat version of the original and I highly recommend you listen to it.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM-b8P1yj9w&w=560&h=315]Lyrics
Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman
Giving all your love to just one man.
You’ll have bad times
And he’ll have good times,
Doin’ things that you don’t understand
But if you love him you’ll forgive him,
Even though he’s hard to understand
And if you love him oh be proud of him,
‘Cause after all he’s just a man
Stand by your man,
Give him two arms to cling to,
And something warm to come to
When nights are cold and lonely
Stand by your man,
And show the world you love him
Keep giving all the love you can
Stand by your man
Stand by your man,
And show the world you love him
Keep giving all the love you can
Stand by your man
Source: LyricFind
Released: 1969
Genre: Country
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Joyful2bee
August 24, 2020That was the way my mother’s mother and most women were taught in the past. There are still such attitudes in places. But women are finding out they are smarter than they knew. That men are not just uncontrolled animals and poor victims of the lust that women’s bodies cause. Hence the reason they should never wear anything sexy, according to those ignorant beliefs. I was brought up in the fifties so I was brought up with this. But then the 60s happened and I learned a lot of freedom. Thankfully I have come a long way.