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Paramount’s new miniseries George & Tammy follows Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon star as country music legends Tammy Wynette and George Jones.
Wynette is best known for her iconic song “Stand By Your Man.” But many fans of the classic tune might not realize even the singer who wrote it didn’t like this key part of the hit song.
Tammy Wynette became known as the ‘queen of country’
Wynette released her first album in the late ’60s. It didn’t take long for her distinctive voice to stand out among her peers.
In particular, country music was wholly dominated by men at that point. Wynette’s female perspective leveled the playing field in a satisfying way for fans, who ultimately gave her the pioneering title of “The First Lady of Country Music.”
Wynette was married five times during her life, but none were as impactful on the world at large as her relationship to Jones. The pair married in 1969 and divorced in 1975.
During that period, Wynette wrote her most iconic song, the career-defining “Stand By Your Man.” Although the song’s message earned the ire of the feminist movement at the time, it’s since become a classic.
Tammy Wynette had one complaint about ‘Stand By Your Man’
Yet, despite the song’s destiny as Wynette’s signature hit, the singer was less than satisfied with “Stand By Your Man” initially. Although she eventually made her peace with it, Wynette had a big problem with one particular part of the song, she told NPR:
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“Well, it was totally different from the other things that I had done, the kid-type songs, ‘D-I-V-O-R-C-E’ and ‘I Don’t Want To Play House’ and those type things. And to me, it did not have a pretty melody. I didn’t like it. I hated the high notes that I had to hit. I mean, I just didn’t like it.
And I told Billy, I said — well, I didn’t have confidence in my writing either, because I had never written with Billy Sherrill before. And he was a wonderful writer, and I knew that. He’d written ‘Almost Persuaded’ and some great songs. So I didn’t know — I just wasn’t, you know, confident at all.”
Wynette reportedly knew the song’s success meant those high notes would follow her forever. And so they did, though even the singer herself eventually conceded to the staying power of “Stand By Your Man.”
‘Stand By Your Man’ remains a pop cultural touchstone
Hitting No. 1 on the charts in several countries, “Stand By Your Man” made Wynette a superstar almost single-handedly. However, its message remains somewhat controversial, given its implied subservience of women to men.
Wynette said that wasn’t the intention of the song. Instead, she intended to inspire women to look past their lovers’ flaws if love existed.
Since its release, “Stand By Your Man” is among the most-covered country songs in music history. It is also featured in the films Five Easy Pieces, The Blue Brothers, The Crying Game, My Cousin Vinny, Sleepless in Seattle, and GoldenEye.
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