Fiddles? Check. Steel? Check. Heartbreak? Check. Paying homage to one of the late greats? Check.
Carly Pearce’s “Dear Miss Loretta”, a pre-release from her phenomenal 2021 album 29: Written In Stone, now unfortunately hits even harder after the passing of country music icon Loretta Lynn at the age of 90.
“Dear Miss Loretta” was the first song released after the album was announced, and oh man is it country. It exemplified the change she had made from somewhat of a pop country sound to one of the flag bearers for the rise of real, great country sound making huge gains in the mainstream and popular music channels.
She also played it during her Grand Ole Opry induction, which was an extremely special moment.
The song is an open letter of sorts to the one and only Loretta, saying something to the extent of:
“I’ve always sang along and liked your songs, but now I understand the hurt that made you sing them.”
Written by Carly, the great Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, the final verse and chorus sum up the song nicely.
“Dear Miss Loretta
We both grew up too fast
And I wish you could tell me
How you made it last
I ain’t a coal miner’s daughter
But I’ve sung it all my life
I ain’t been a widow
But I’ve been an ex-wife
And I hear your truth
And I feel your pain
Now I know why you sang that way
Yeah, I know why you sang that way.”
And oh yeah, she got Patty Loveless, an underrated star from the ’90s, to sing with her. You know, just to throw in some flavor and kick it up a notch.
Carly Pearce is well on her way to superstardom, and I am HERE for it. A divorce is brutal experience for anybody, especially someone in the public eye, I have to selfishly admit, the music that came from it is just so damn good.
Keep crushing it Carly.
