“Rated ‘X’”
Loretta Lynn
Written by Loretta Lynn
Billboard
#1 (1 week)
February 24, 1973
This is an interesting idea that got away just a bit from Loretta Lynn.
This valiant attempt to use the then-new MPAA ratings as a label for loose women was certainly creative, but Lynn doesn’t quite stick the landing. It’s hard to tell if she’s judging or sympathizing with the women in question for most of the record.
It is the spoken outro that saves the day, as she makes explicit what she was trying to say with the song’s central metaphor:
Why, us women don’t have a chance
‘Cause if you’ve been married, you can’t have no fun at all
No, you’re rated X
No matter what you do, they’re gonna talk about you
Look down their noses
I, I don’t know what to think about it
Just give ’em somethin’ to talk about, I guess
So more sympathetic than judgmental in the end. That’s enough to bump it up one grade.
“Rated ‘X’” gets a B.
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Bonus Beats:
Here’s Loretta Lynn performing “Rated X” live with Jack White of the White Stripes, who produced an album for her and had been covering the song years before their collaboration:
https://youtu.be/O4pg64bVtZs
I’ll dissent here and say this one’s among s-tier Loretta singles. I’ve always felt that the way she sings “loose and free” makes it plain that her sympathies lie with the women who are being judged. And the two-step arrangement underscores the idea that these women have nothing to apologize for.
I also particularly love Neko Case’s cover of this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF5VfVztpUU
Easy “A+”. This is both clever and deliberate and to me very clear that she is criticizing the nature of men and how they judge and assume when mistakes are made. The lyrics are some of the best in the history of the genre. I will also add that anyone who thinks Loretta was just a lucky country girl has not paid attention. Much smarter than the image both she and her management created.