Jack White picks the greatest country song of all time: “The whole thing was just a dream”
As a musician, Jack White has largely earned his stripes in the rock realm. He rose to acclaim in the 2000s as one half of The White Stripes, providing co-vocalist Meg White with some truly stellar guitar riffs that would lead the garage rock revival. Since the band broke up in 2011, White has continued to prove his chops within this realm, most recently reaffirming his penchant for rock and roll with his surprise album No Name earlier this year.
White may be a rocker in his own discography, but his collaboration and production credits tell a different story. Outside of the White Stripes and his solo work, White has shown off a wide-spanning taste, working with country darlings, contemporary rappers, and even the queen of pop herself, Beyoncé. He’s produced post-hardcore projects, records for fellow rockers, and everything in between, but there was one artist with whom the former White Stripe was particularly honoured to work with.
In the early 2000s, White was recruited by country singer Loretta Lynn to produce her album Van Lear Rose, a request he did not take lightly. The rocker was honoured by the opportunity to work with a talent like Lynn, telling Vulture that he wished he could have “run away with” her writings, stating, “It was an amazing plethora of songs. The whole thing was just a dream.”
It will come as no surprise, then, that White considers one of Lynn’s tracks the best country song of all time. During an appearance on Dan Rather’s The Big Interview, White picked out Lynn’s 1966 song ‘Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)’ as his pick for the best offering from the genre.
The track opens with some gorgeous country twangs before Lynn’s voice comes to the fore over a gentle country sway. She directs her words towards an intoxicated partner who arrives home with “lovin’” on his mind, refuting his advances with more vexation in each new verse. “Liquor and love, they just don’t mix,” she affirms, “Leave that bottle or me behind”.
Adorned with twinkling keys and male backing vocalists, ‘Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)’ truly allows Lynn’s voice to shine. She sings with admirable vocal control, her strength mirroring the bitterness in the lyrics while moments of vibrato show a softer side to the story. In just over two minutes, Lynn proves herself to be one of the most talented vocalists in country.
White wasn’t the only listener who was captivated by Lynn on ‘Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)’. When the song was first released, audiences were immediately taken in by Lynn’s lyrics and vocals, and the song shot to the top of the country charts. It remains a signature track in her catalogue over half a century later.
Lynn’s contributions to the genre tend to be overshadowed by some slightly bigger names. Lists of the greatest songs of all time usually credit the likes of Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash long before Lynn, but White saw and appreciated her talent both as a collaborator and as a listener. ‘Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)’ is a fine contribution to the country genre, one more than worthy of climbing lists of the country greats.
