In the fall of 1984 at the CMA Awards, Anne Murray achieved significant success, winning Single of the Year for “A Little Good News” and Album of the Year for the LP of the same name.
While the album’s victory was likely propelled by its title track, by the time of the ceremony, it had also yielded another No. 1 country hit with “Just Another Woman in Love.” This song sees Anne Murray returning to more familiar lyrical ground, presenting a tender ballad about love. Although the production and performance might sound conventional, the songwriting offers a fresh perspective, notably because it was penned by two women. During this period in the eighties, the perception of a successful woman was evolving, a shift the writers skillfully captured:
I’m strong, I’m sure
I’m in control, a lady with a plan
Believing that life is a neat little package
I hold in my hand
I’ve got it together, they call me the girl
Who knows just what to say and do
The song portrays a woman who is completely in control of her life, yet her partner has the power to make her fall apart—an experience she eagerly anticipates when she returns home:
So pardon me if I should stare and tremble like a child
That wanting me look all over your face is driving me wild
I’m just what you make me
Can’t wait ’til you take me, and set all my feelings free
I know that you can, so come be my man
Tonight, I wanna be
Just another woman in love
This record is seldom mentioned when discussing important country songs that reflected the evolution of women’s role in society over the past few decades. Anne Murray herself is often left out of these conversations as well. However, both she and this significant record deserve to be recognized for their contribution.