“You’re Lookin’ at Country” is a song written and recorded by American country singer-songwriter

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...

. It was released as a single in May 1971 by

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

, serving as the lead single from her album of the same name. The song reached number five on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and became one of Lynn’s signature hits, known for celebrating traditional country values.

About the song

Lynn wrote "You're Lookin' At Country" after gazing on the open country while touring with her band. Lynn said in an interview that she was inspired by all the meadows and hills that she saw while passing through the country. The song was unlike anything Lynn had been releasing at the time, other " Coal Miner's Daughter" from the previous year. Both songs did not speak of the subjects Lynn most often used in her songs, such as drunk husbands, adultery, and fighting back. "I had to write 'You're Lookin' At Country' as a love song or it wouldn't sell", Lynn told Jimmy Guterman in the liner notes for the 1994 box set ''Honky Tonk Girl: The Loretta Lynn Collection''. "But it wasn't a love song. I got the idea from looking at my land. I wanted to write what I saw". "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 summarises herself by singing, ''if you're lookin' at me, you're lookin' at country''. The song received a very positive response from listeners, and is one of Lynn's signature songs. Lynn performed the song when she served as guest host in 1978 on Season 3, Episode 3.08 of "

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a variety sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and starring the Muppets. It is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers interspersed with ongoing plot-lines with ru ...

". In the 1980 motion picture biography of Lynn, '' Coal Miner's Daughter'',

Sissy Spacek Mary Elizabeth "Sissy" Spacek (; born December 25, 1949) is an American actress and singer. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Sissy Spacek, numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including ...

(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 The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

for doing so.

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005, returning as a judge beginning with the twenty-third season. Underwood's f ...

covered the song 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 The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony f ...

along with fellow country singer

Kacey Musgraves Kacey Lee Musgraves (born August 21, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She began her career in the early 2000s, when she self-released three solo albums and recorded another album as a member of the duo Texas Two Bits. In 20 ...

Chart performance

Decca Records released Lynn's song in May 1971. "You're Lookin' At Country" peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's

Hot Country Singles Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

chart in mid-1971, and an album of the same name was released. The album and the single sold fairly well. Only one single was released from the album, which was common for the time.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:You're Lookin' At Country 1971 singles Loretta Lynn songs Carrie Underwood songs Songs written by Loretta Lynn Song recordings produced by Owen Bradley Decca Records singles 1971 songs