This Is The Thanks I Get

"This Is The Thanks I Get" by Barbara Lynn: Southern Soul With a Wounded Heart

Step into early 1968, a rich moment for Southern soul, when gifted performers poured raw emotion into deeply felt records about love and heartbreak. Barbara Lynn was one of the most distinctive figures of that scene, a singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose talents set her apart in a male-dominated field. "This Is The Thanks I Get" found her delivering a heartfelt soul number about being taken for granted, the work of a genuinely gifted and underappreciated artist.

A Trailblazing Soul Artist

Barbara Lynn occupied a special and pioneering place in the world of Southern soul. She was not only a singer and songwriter but also a skilled guitarist, a rarity for a woman in the soul and blues world of the 1960s. She had scored a major hit earlier in the decade with "You'll Lose a Good Thing," a song she wrote herself, demonstrating her considerable talents. Lynn's ability to write, sing, and play guitar made her a genuinely distinctive and accomplished artist, one who deserved more recognition than she sometimes received. By 1968 she was a respected figure in Southern soul, admired for her authentic, heartfelt music.

A Heartfelt Soul Lament

"This Is The Thanks I Get" showcases Lynn's gift for emotional Southern soul. The song expresses the hurt and frustration of being taken for granted, of giving love and devotion only to be treated poorly in return. Lynn delivers the lyric with genuine feeling, her voice carrying the wounded emotion of the situation. The arrangement features the warm, soulful sound of Southern soul, providing a heartfelt setting for the lament. It was the kind of emotionally honest soul that Lynn did so well, music that gave authentic voice to the pain of unappreciated love and the frustration of being undervalued.

A Brief Chart Appearance

The single made only a modest impression on the pop charts. "This Is The Thanks I Get" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 74 on February 17, 1968, and climbed slightly the following week. It reached its peak of number 65 on February 24, 1968, and lasted just 2 weeks on the chart. The brief showing reflected the intensely competitive soul market of the era, as well as the challenges Lynn sometimes faced in receiving the recognition her talents deserved. Despite the modest chart life, the recording demonstrated her genuine gifts as a soulful, emotionally honest artist.

An Underappreciated Talent

In the larger story of Southern soul, Barbara Lynn stands as a genuinely gifted and underappreciated artist. Her skills as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist made her a pioneering figure who deserved greater fame. This song captures her emotional honesty and her gift for heartfelt soul, the authentic feeling that defined her work. For lovers of Southern soul and of trailblazing female artists, it offers a fine example of a talented performer giving genuine voice to the pain of unappreciated love, a heartfelt gem from an artist who deserved wider recognition.

A Woman With a Guitar

The detail that Barbara Lynn played guitar deserves particular emphasis, because it made her a genuine rarity in the soul and blues world of the 1960s. Female singers were common enough, but a woman who fronted her own music as a skilled instrumentalist was almost unheard of in a field dominated by men. Lynn's command of the guitar gave her a distinctive artistic identity and a creative independence that few of her female peers enjoyed. She was not merely an interpreter of others' songs but a complete musician, writing her own material and playing her own instrument. That combination of talents made her a pioneering figure who challenged the conventions of her time. Her example helped expand notions of what women could achieve in soul and blues, paving the way for future generations of female instrumentalists. "This Is The Thanks I Get" reflects the authentic artistry of a woman who refused to be confined to the limited roles the industry typically offered, a genuine and underappreciated trailblazer whose gifts deserved far wider recognition than they received.

Press play and let the wounded, heartfelt Southern soul of Barbara Lynn's "This Is The Thanks I Get" carry its honest emotion.

"This Is The Thanks I Get" — Barbara Lynn's singular moment on the 1960s charts.