God I love this song. When it first came out in 1968, the feminists went crazy, saying it was an anti-feminist song that encouraged women to stay with abusive husbands. Tammy thought the controversy was over until Hilary Clinton brought it up in an interview shortly before Bill was elected President. Hilary told the interviewer, “Well, you know, I’m not exactly a stand by your man type.” That brought the controversy back.
Six years later, Tammy died, possibly of a drug overdose. She had led an interesting but painful life, married five times with a famous affair with Burt Reynolds. Her most famous love was George Jones, the great country singer. A legendary drunk, once she hid his car keys so he could not go to the bar. He got on his motorized lawnmower and drove 12 miles into town to drink in the bar! That shows some determination!
I love a stand by your man type woman. I have had a few of them in my life, more in recent years than in the past. These are the best women in the whole world, devoted to their man. There is something special about that and what it does for a man’s ego. If you are a man, consider yourself lucky if you ever get a woman like this. The more “alpha” a man is, the more “stand by your man” the woman will be. It’s evolution at work. So that’s another compliment.
