“How Can I Unlove You”
Lynn Anderson
Written by Joe South
Billboard
#1 (3 weeks)
October 16 – October 30, 1971
There are so many things that I adore about this record.
The vocal performance, most especially. Anderson soars on the verses then goes into a Supremes-styled chorus, seamlessly interweaving two distinctive musical styles into one cohesive performance.
And the strings are off the hook, y’all. Off. The. Hook. This rivals “Rose Garden” in earworm status. I’ve been bouncing along to it all week.
But this is also a heartbreak anthem, so it makes for an odd contrast. I like to think we’re being washed away in the love she feels that overwhelms her better judgment. But that’s a lot of heavy lifting on my part to make it work.
I also just hate the “un-” everything that isn’t supposed to have an “un-” in front of it. That ruined “Unbreak My Heart” for me, too. Un this, un that, un not for me.
So a few flaws keep this one from perfection, but I still recommend it wholeheartedly.
“How Can I Unlove You” gets an B+.
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A “B-“. It’s catchy for sure and I don’t mind the “un” but It’s easy to see why it didn’t have the staying power of Rose Garden. When I was young I never understood why she wasn’t as highly regarded as Loretta, Tammy, & Dolly from the same era. But looking back it’s pretty simple. It really is about the SONG. Her material, other than Rose Garden, just wasn’t great. I actually remember her saying in an interview once that she was losing material to Tammy that was written by her husband. I have never researched so don’t know if it’s actually true or not.