From the beginning, Tammy Wynette projected a vision of femininity that felt different. It wasn’t that she gave up love songs or declared her independence from men—if anything, few female country singers did more to reinforce the messages of monogamy and marital fidelity that give country its conservative sheen. But just as her future husband George Jones found comfort in his sadness, Wynette conveyed the hardships of adult relationships. It’s a theme that runs throughout her 1967 album, Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad, which features songs about staying faithful (“Almost Persuaded”), picking your battles (“I Wound Easy (But I Heal Fast)”), and balancing his pleasure with your dignity (“Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)”). Such notions are delivered in ways that felt seductive—as though they’re badges of honor we quietly enjoy suffering for. So while Dolly Parton joked about throwing rocks at the woman who took her man away (“I Don’t Want to Throw Rice”), Wynette joked about drinking whiskey and dolling herself up to appeal more directly to the husband who won’t come home (“Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad”). Of course, when you think about the women who have bent their identities out of shape just to try and keep their men happy, you realize “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad“ might not have been a joke at all—and, if it was, that doesn’t make it funny. But there’s no misunderstanding why so many people—women and men both—wanted to hear it at the time.