Artist: Patty Loveless
Writers: Matraca Berg/Shea Jones

Chapter One – 1993

“There’s a man in a Stetson hat, howlin’ like an alley cat
Outside my window tonight
Sayin’, ‘Baby, put on something hot, meet me in the parking lot
About a quarter to nine.’”

OK, so I’ve never worn a Stetson hat, not even back in the nineties. I’m pretty sure I’ve never stood outside someone’s window howling something like, “Baby, put on something hot….” First of all, there was no alley in the apartment complex where Jennifer lived in the early nineties. Secondly, I think if I had done something like that—especially wearing a Stetson—she would’ve closed the blinds and stopped taking my calls. Understandably.

This song makes the list for mostly musical reasons. I’ve always loved to hear Jennifer sing. Her voice has a classic tone and the versatility to work in both a traditional and modern county context, as well as folk and pop. Her delivery is always disciplined, yet emotional. She breathes life into songs. That’s just a long-winded way to say, “Jennifer is a hell of a singer.”

This was one the first songs Jennifer and I played together back in ’93. Her voice absolutely rocked it. That mixed with one of my lifelong favorite chord progressions (1 – 4 – Flat 7 – 4), and “I’m That Kind of Girl” instantly became a permanent part of our soundtrack and the beginning of our musical moments together—some of my favorite scenes in our story.

Just for kicks, let’s look at more of those lyrics.

“Let me tell you that I like my lovin’ just as much as any woman,
But I’m drawin’ the line.
A little sensitivity always seems to get to me every time.
I’m a sucker for a love-sick fool,
The kind that carries all your books in school.
I’m getting tired of these one night stands,
But if you’re lookin’ for a real romance,
I’m that kind of girl, I’m that kind of girl”

Got love-sick fool covered. I would’ve gladly carried her books in school. Looking for a real romance? Absolutely. But I draw the line at a Stetson.