The Letter

Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty

About The Letter

"The Letter" is a song recorded by American country music artists Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn as a duet. It was released in June 1976 as the first single from their album United Talent. The song peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It also reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada. It was written by Twitty and Charles Haney. The song – spoken wall-to-wall, with Twitty and Lynn trading spoken parts and set to a ballad-type musical background – is about a young man who is unfaithful to his girlfriend, resulting in the end of the relationship. Some time later, the two meet up again and she asks him to make good on a promise they made that if one ever needed to help the other, he or she would. She asks him to write a letter that affirms love and faithfulness, regret and willingness to repent under the guise that it would be seen by her current boyfriend (who, like the male protagonist was unfaithful) and that he would realize his mistake and that he had a good thing. The letter turns out to be ironic: It is a type of a Dear John letter, and it is the letter writer who, in writing the letter, admits his own mistakes and expresses his willingness to change. 


Year:
1979
2:53
253 
#1

 Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!

Today I saw her for the first time since she left me
And she said I've got a favor to ask of ye and I said all right what is it
And she said you know you always told me
If I ever needed any help just to ask you and you'd help me

And I said yeah I remember and she said
Well there's this fellow that I've been going with
And I just found out that he's been slipping around me
And I thought that maybe if you'd write me a letter

And tell me that you miss me and that you still love me
That he may find it and it might greed it
And it might make him jealous and I might not lose it
And I said OK I'll write you the letter

Dear sweetheart just a line to let you know
That I still think about ye and I still love you so
I remember your kisses and every time you held me tight
But most of all I remember the good times that we had each night

Dear sweetheart if you're lonely just let me know
For you're still my one and only and I still love you so
I'm gonna close for now sweetheart and try to go on without you
But don't forget I'll always love you no matter what you do

So now I've written the letter the way you've asked me to
And I hope it makes him jealous the way you want it to
For I've told you I still love you and I want to be with you
But you know sweetheart the saddest part I'm not pretending for I still do

 Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!


Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn (née Webb; born on April 14, 1932) is an American country-music singer-songwriter and author. Born in Butcher Hollow, near Paintsville, Kentucky, USA, to a coal-miner father. At the age of 14 she married, and soon she became pregnant. She moved to Washington state with her husband, Oliver Vanetta Lynn, Jr. (1926–1996), nicknamed "Doo". Their marriage was tumultuous; he had affairs, and she was headstrong; their life together helped to inspire her music. more »

3 fans

Written by: CHARLES HANEY, CONWAY TWITTY

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


13 facts about this song

Artists
"The Letter" is a duet performed by two of the most iconic country music artists of all time, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn.
Album
It appears on their album titled “Lead Me On,” released in 1971.
Chart Success
The song was a hit, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
Frequency of Collaboration
Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn were frequent collaborators throughout their careers, producing 11 studio albums together.
Lyrical Content
"The Letter" is a heartbreaking song with emotional lyrics reflecting on a love letter.
Success of the Album
The “Lead Me On” album itself reached high levels of country chart success, hitting number two on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Notation
Twitty and Lynn's voices were known to harmonize well in this song, and it was one of the many collaborations where their vocal chemistry was particularly applauded.
Songwriters
The song was written by Teddy Wilburn, one half of the legendary Wilburn Brothers, who played a significant role in the early career of Loretta Lynn.
Duration
The song is relatively short yet memorable, clocking in at just a little over two minutes.
Legacy
"The Letter" continues to be a beloved classic in the realm of country music, showcasing the exceptional talent and synergy of Twitty and Lynn.
Awards
Although "The Letter" didn’t win any specific awards, Twitty and Lynn won the Vocal Duo of the Year award 4 times from the Country Music Association, a testament to their unmatched duet performances.
Collaboration Duration
The duo of Twitty and Lynn collaborated for over a decade, from 1971 to 1981, and made sizeable impacts on the country music genre, with songs like "The Letter" being a significant part of their discography.
Influence
This song and the larger body of work from Twitty and Lynn were influential not just to their listeners, but also for subsequent country music artists, serving as a template for successful collaborations.

Discuss the The Letter Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Letter Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/1185834/Loretta+Lynn/The+Letter>.

    Missing lyrics by Loretta Lynn?

    Know any other songs by Loretta Lynn? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    The Letter

    87,620
    362     13

    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    "Heat of the Moment" is a 1982 biggest hit single for which band?
    A Asia
    B Mr. Mister
    C Cutting Crew
    D Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Loretta Lynn tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!

    Movies soundtrack

    The Letter

    »