Introduction:
In 2000, Loretta Lynn returned to the spotlight with her first album in more than a decade—released four years after the passing of her husband of nearly fifty years, Oliver “Mooney” Lynn, also known as “Doo.” Her 41st studio album, Still Country, serves as a heartfelt collection of memories honoring their lifelong love story. The record features songs such as “On My Own Again,” penned by Randy Scruggs, and “Table for Two,” written specifically for Lynn by Vince Gill.
Among the most moving tracks is a ballad Lynn co-wrote, inspired by one of Mooney’s final words to her. During his last days, he quietly admitted that he could no longer hear her sing. “He was my biggest critic and my greatest fan,” Lynn shared with The New York Times in 2000. “I didn’t know he couldn’t hear anymore. I thought he didn’t want to hear me.”
Written by Lynn alongside Kendal Franceschi and Cody James, “I Can’t Hear the Music” becomes her intimate love letter to Mooney—a reflection on how the world, and the music within it, has changed since his absence.
He showed me there was more to me
When I thought I had nothing else to give
God knows he wasn’t perfect
*Ah, but then again, nobody
