Song Information
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Title: D-I-V-O-R-C-E
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Artist: Tammy Wynette
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Songwriters: Bobby Braddock & Curly Putman
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Producer: Billy Sherrill
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Release Date: April 19, 1968
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Album: D-I-V-O-R-C-E
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Genre: Country
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Label: Epic Records
“D-I-V-O-R-C-E” was released in 1968 and became one of Tammy Wynette’s most heartbreaking and iconic songs. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and further established Wynette as “The First Lady of Country Music.” The song’s emotional depth and brilliant use of spelling to shield a child from trauma struck a powerful chord with audiences.
Song Content Summary
“D-I-V-O-R-C-E” is a poignant ballad that captures the sorrow of a mother going through a divorce while trying to shield her young son from the emotional pain. Rather than confronting him with adult realities, she spells out emotionally charged words—like “divorce,” “custody,” and “hell”—to keep the boy from understanding the devastation around him.
Tammy Wynette’s delivery is gentle, emotional, and raw. Her voice trembles as she sings about masking the heartbreak of a broken marriage, presenting the struggle of keeping things together for the sake of a child. The lyrics describe a single day in the life of a mother, where simple moments—like a visit to a courtroom or trying to hide her tears—are magnified by the emotional burden she carries.
The brilliance of the song lies in its simplicity and relatability. Millions of families across America were facing similar situations, and Tammy gave their pain a voice. The song’s soft instrumentation, melancholy tone, and heartfelt lyrics created a masterpiece of emotional storytelling that still resonates with listeners today.
Explaining the Emotional Impact and Cultural Relevance
“D-I-V-O-R-C-E” was more than just a song—it was a mirror held up to the lives of countless families navigating heartbreak. Its use of spelling was a powerful literary and emotional device. By spelling out painful words, the narrator protects her child’s innocence, while exposing her own emotional fragility. This storytelling technique invites the listener to feel not just the facts of the situation, but the weight of unspoken pain.
In 1968, divorce was still considered taboo in many parts of America. By bringing it to the center of a mainstream country song, Wynette challenged traditional silence around family breakdowns. But she did so not with blame or bitterness, but with empathy and maternal love. That’s what made the song revolutionary.
Critics praised the song’s composition, and fellow artists admired its bravery. It allowed country music to explore more complex domestic themes with sensitivity. And for Tammy Wynette, it became another defining moment in her career—a follow-up to “Stand By Your Man” that proved she could just as powerfully sing about love’s end as she could about its endurance.
To this day, “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” remains one of the most heartbreaking yet beautiful expressions of maternal protection and quiet grief ever written in country music.
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Lyrics
Our little boy is four years old and quite a little man
So we spell out the words we don’t want him to understand
Like T-O-Y or maybe S-U-R P-R-I-S-E
But the words we’re hiding from him now
Tear the heart right out of me.
Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E; becomes final today
Me and little J-O-E will be goin’ away
I love you both and this will be pure H-E double L for me
Oh, I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E.
Watch him smile, he thinks it Christmas
Or his 5th Birthday
And he thinks C-U-S-T-O-D-Y spells fun or play
I spell out all the hurtin’ words
And turn my head when I speak
‘Cause I can’t spell away this hurt
That’s drippin’ down my cheek.
Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E; becomes final today
Me and little J-O-E will be goin’ away
I love you both and this will be pure H-E double L for me
Oh, I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E.