One's on the Way
Encyclopedia
"One's on the Way" is a song made famous by country music
singer Loretta Lynn
. Originally released in 1971
, the song was the title track to her 1971 album and became one of her best-known hits. It was written by Shel Silverstein
.
and Elizabeth Taylor
." The song also makes reference to Jacqueline Kennedy and Raquel Welch
again in contrast to the housewife vocalist's conventional life.
The song was the latest in a series of what genre historian Bill Malone said was "feisty" songs from Lynn. In effect, "One's on the Way" and similarly themed songs (such as "Don't Come Home A' Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)
" and "The Pill
") helped Lynn become "the spokeswoman for every woman who had gotten married too early, pregnant too often and felt trapped by the tedium and drudgery of her life."
Each of the song's verses has Lynn speaking in awe about the outside world. For instance, in the first verse, she draws comparisons between such things as Taylor flying to France to have her hair done and the joy and gaity of the "White House
social season," and her own dull life ("Here in Topeka, the rain is a-fallin'. The faucet is a-drippin' and the kids are a-bawlin'"). At one point, she angers her husband after a misunderstanding (he had called from a nearby tavern to announce he was bringing some old Army friends home, just as she was trying to shoo one of her children away from somewhere he wasn't supposed to be). The end of the song includes Lynn sighing, "Gee, I hope it ain't twins again!"
On the other hand, the lyrics—considering there is no apparent jealousy in the way in which they are sung in the Loretta Lynn version—can be taken as a sardonic observation on the shallow, pointless existence of the glitterati by one who is living a more common life. At some points in the lyrics the singer mentions the (then new) birth control pill and women's liberation movement, seeming to lament that such changes will soon affect the rest of the country, but may never have a real influence on her life.
In later years when Lynn would perform the song in concert, she would frequently substitute references to the now deceased Jacqueline Kennedy (called simply "Jackie" in the song) with Nancy Reagan
or other contemporary personalities. It's not known if Lynn will continue to mention "Liz" in performances of the song since the March 2011 death of Elizabeth Taylor.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
. Originally released in 1971
1971 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1971.-No dates:*Seeking younger, more urban viewers, CBS cancels nearly all of its rural-themed programming...
, the song was the title track to her 1971 album and became one of her best-known hits. It was written by Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
.
About the song
Country music writer Tom Roland described "One's on the Way" as a "humorous piece on motherhood," wherein a stay-at-home mother (pregnant with the latest in a family of several children) contemplates her hectic lifestyle and compares her conditions to "the glamorous lives of Debbie ReynoldsDebbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
and Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
." The song also makes reference to Jacqueline Kennedy and Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Tejada , better known as Raquel Welch, is an American actress, author and sex symbol. Welch came to attention as a "new-star" on the 20th Century-Fox lot in the mid-1960s. She posed iconically in a animal skin bikini for the British-release One Million Years B.C. , for which she may be...
again in contrast to the housewife vocalist's conventional life.
The song was the latest in a series of what genre historian Bill Malone said was "feisty" songs from Lynn. In effect, "One's on the Way" and similarly themed songs (such as "Don't Come Home A' Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)
Don't Come Home A' Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)
"Don't Come Home A' Drinkin' " is a country music song, made famous by Country music singer Loretta Lynn in early 1967...
" and "The Pill
The Pill (song)
"The Pill" is a 1975 country music song recorded by Loretta Lynn. It is one of her best known songs as well as the most controversial record of her career...
") helped Lynn become "the spokeswoman for every woman who had gotten married too early, pregnant too often and felt trapped by the tedium and drudgery of her life."
Each of the song's verses has Lynn speaking in awe about the outside world. For instance, in the first verse, she draws comparisons between such things as Taylor flying to France to have her hair done and the joy and gaity of the "White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
social season," and her own dull life ("Here in Topeka, the rain is a-fallin'. The faucet is a-drippin' and the kids are a-bawlin'"). At one point, she angers her husband after a misunderstanding (he had called from a nearby tavern to announce he was bringing some old Army friends home, just as she was trying to shoo one of her children away from somewhere he wasn't supposed to be). The end of the song includes Lynn sighing, "Gee, I hope it ain't twins again!"
On the other hand, the lyrics—considering there is no apparent jealousy in the way in which they are sung in the Loretta Lynn version—can be taken as a sardonic observation on the shallow, pointless existence of the glitterati by one who is living a more common life. At some points in the lyrics the singer mentions the (then new) birth control pill and women's liberation movement, seeming to lament that such changes will soon affect the rest of the country, but may never have a real influence on her life.
In later years when Lynn would perform the song in concert, she would frequently substitute references to the now deceased Jacqueline Kennedy (called simply "Jackie" in the song) with Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
or other contemporary personalities. It's not known if Lynn will continue to mention "Liz" in performances of the song since the March 2011 death of Elizabeth Taylor.
Original pressings
When released in November 1971, Decca Records issued the single to record stores and radio stations under the title "Here in Topeka" (in reference to the hook line). Once the mistake was discovered, new singles were issued with the correct title. However, for years, Lynn received requests at concerts to perform "Here in Topeka."Chart performance
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
See also
- Whitburn, Joel, Top Country Songs: 1944-2005, 2006.