Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man (song)
"Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" is a song written by Becki Bluefield and Jim Owen, and recorded as a duet by American country music artists Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. It was released in May 1973 as the first single and title track from the album of the same name. The song was their third number one on the country chart as duo. The single would stay at number one for one week and spend a total of 13 weeks on the country chart.[1]
"Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" | ||||
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Single by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn | ||||
from the album Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man | ||||
B-side | "Living Together Alone" | |||
Released | May 28, 1973 | |||
Genre | Country, bluegrass, country rock | |||
Label | MCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | Becki Bluefield Jim Owen | |||
Producer(s) | Owen Bradley | |||
Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn singles chronology | ||||
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Critical reception
Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that the song has an "up-tempo Cajun sound" and that the pair comes off beautifully." It goes on to say that the song is a "change of pace and, naturally, well produced."[2]
Synopsis
The song details the travails of a couple geographically separated by the Mississippi River. They emphatically pledge that their love is too great to let the wide distance of the river keep them separated. Overcoming alligators and bouts of distraction (the man is often sidetracked by spending time fishing) the man pledges to somehow cross the river while the woman claims she will go so far as to swim the distance (one mile the song claims). This is an especially bold proclamation on her part as even by 1987, E. coli and fecal coliform bacteria levels in the Mississippi River at Vicksburg far exceeded modern WHO recommendations by over 2000% (about an order of magnitude less than current levels in the Ganges River upstream of Varanasi).[3]
Appearances in other media
The song appears in the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas video game soundtrack, on the fictitious radio station K-Rose.
Chart performance
Chart (1973) | Peak position |
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Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
US Billboard Country Songs | 1 |
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 361.
- Billboard, June 9, 1973
- "Contaminants in the Mississippi River, 1987-92" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey.