Today in 1972, Loretta Lynn’s “One’s On The Way” hits number one in Billboard.

Originally released in 1971, the song was the title track to her 1971 album and became one of her best-known hits. It was written by Shel Silverstein.

Country music writer Tom Roland described “One’s on the Way” as a “humorous piece on motherhood,” wherein a stay-at-home mother in Topeka, Kansas (pregnant with the latest in a family of several children) contemplates her hectic lifestyle and compares her conditions to the glamor-based lives of Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor. The song also makes reference to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy at the White House and sex symbol actress Raquel Welch again in contrast to the housewife vocalist’s conventional life.

The song was the latest in a series of what genre historian Bill Malone said was “feisty” songs from Lynn. In effect, “One’s on the Way” and similarly themed songs, such as “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)” and “The Pill”, helped Lynn become “the spokeswoman for every woman who had gotten married too early, pregnant too often and felt trapped by the tedium and drudgery of her life.”

Loretta appeared as a guest star in episode 8 of season 3 of The Muppet Show in 1978 and sang this song.

In later years when Lynn would perform the song in concert, she would frequently substitute references to the now deceased Jacqueline Kennedy (called simply “Jackie” in the song) with Nancy Reagan, but also has used Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States. Despite the March 2011 death of Elizabeth Taylor, Loretta does still include “Liz” in the song.

When released in November 1971, Decca Records issued the single to record stores and radio stations under the title “Here in Topeka” (in reference to the hook line). Once the mistake was discovered, new singles were issued with the correct title. However, for years, Lynn received requests at concerts to perform “Here in Topeka.”

Source: Wikipedia