About The Song
“You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)” is a composition penned and originally recorded by the American country artist Loretta Lynn. Debuting as a single in May 1966 under the banner of Decca Records, the track has since solidified its status as one of Lynn’s defining musical works.
Origins and Reception The recording of “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)” took place at the Columbia Recording Studio on November 15, 1965, in Nashville, Tennessee. The session, overseen by the acclaimed country music producer Owen Bradley, yielded three additional tracks, including the B-side “God Gave Me a Heart to Forgive” and Lynn’s well-received single “Dear Uncle Sam.”
The inspiration for the song stemmed from a real-life encounter Lynn had with a woman backstage before one of her concerts. In 2016, Lynn recalled that the woman shared a personal tale of another woman attempting to lure her husband away. Responding to the woman’s distress, Lynn assured her, saying, “Honey, she ain’t woman enough to take your man!” Subsequently, Lynn retreated to her dressing room and penned the lyrics for the song.
Upon its release, “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)” achieved the remarkable feat of reaching the second position on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1966. The track marked Lynn’s eighth top-ten single on the country chart and stood as her most significant hit at that point. The song found a place on her 1966 studio album, titled “You Ain’t Woman Enough.”