🎵 Song Title: “9 to 5” – Dolly Parton (1980)
Writer: Dolly Parton
Release Date: November 3, 1980
Album: 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs
Genre: Country pop / Pop rock
Label: RCA Records
Producer: Gregg Perry
📝 Song Overview:
“9 to 5” is one of Dolly Parton’s most iconic tracks, written and recorded for the 1980 film 9 to 5, in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The song became an instant anthem for working women, capturing the frustration, exhaustion, and invisible labor of those stuck in the grind of the corporate world. Blending upbeat pop-rock with her signature country vocals, Dolly gave voice to millions of women navigating the daily realities of a male-dominated workforce.
The song opens with the unforgettable rhythmic tapping of a typewriter—a brilliant production choice that sets the tone of the working office—and quickly launches into a lively tempo that mirrors the fast pace of daily routines. With lines like “It’s a rich man’s game, no matter what they call it / And you spend your life puttin’ money in his wallet,” the lyrics strike a chord even decades later.
Not only did “9 to 5” top the Billboard Hot 100, Country, and Adult Contemporary charts, but it also earned Parton Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance. It has since become a timeless feminist anthem.
🎯 The Deeper Message Behind the Catchy Tune:
While it may sound cheerful and fun on the surface, “9 to 5” is a deeply political song disguised in a pop melody. Dolly Parton cleverly uses satire and humor to call out workplace inequality, the glass ceiling, and the lack of recognition women often face. Her storytelling pulls back the curtain on a system where women do most of the labor but rarely receive fair pay or promotions.
The line “They just use your mind and they never give you credit” sums up the core frustration of many workers, especially women in the 1980s who were beginning to demand more rights in the workplace. At the same time, Dolly’s delivery is never bitter. It’s witty, empowering, and rallying—a battle cry wrapped in rhinestones and big hair.
Moreover, the song came at a time when the women’s movement was gaining momentum in the U.S., and “9 to 5” helped bring those concerns into the mainstream. It also helped normalize the idea that pop music could carry serious social commentary without losing its mass appeal. Dolly Parton’s role in both writing and performing the song cements her legacy not just as a country legend but as a cultural trailblazer for working-class and female voices.
🎬 Watch the Music Video:
Lyrics – “9 to 5”
(Opening Lines)
Tumble outta bed
And I stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
And yawn and stretch
And try to come to life
Jump in the shower
And the blood starts pumpin’
Out on the street
The traffic starts jumpin’
The folks like me on the job from 9 to 5
Workin’ 9 to 5,
What a way to make a livin’
Barely gettin’ by
It’s all takin’ and no givin’
They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
It’s enough to drive you crazy
If you let it
9 to 5, for service and devotion
You would think that I
Would deserve a fair promotion
Want to move ahead
But the boss won’t seem to let me
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me
They let you dream
Just to watch ’em shatter
You’re just a step
On the boss-man’s ladder
But you got dreams
He’ll never take away
You’re in the same boat
With a lot of your friends
Waitin’ for the day your ship’ll come in
‘N’ the tide’s gonna turn
And it’s all gonna roll your way
Workin’ 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin’
Barely gettin’ by
It’s all takin’ and no givin’
They just use your mind
And you never get the credit
It’s enough to drive you crazy
If you let it
9 to 5, yeah
They got you where they want you
There’s a better life
And you think about it, don’t you?
It’s a rich man’s game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Puttin’ money in his wallet
9 to 5, whoa
What a way to make a livin’
Barely gettin’ by
It’s all takin’ and no givin’
They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
It’s enough to drive you crazy
If you let it
9 to 5, yeah
They got you where they want you
There’s a better life
And you dream about it, don’t you?
It’s a rich man’s game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Puttin’ money in his wallet
Working 9 to 5