Retro Single Review: Dolly Parton, “Daddy”

1969| Peak: #40

“Daddy” is the first in a string of provocative Parton singles that absolutely bewildered country radio.

Here, a daughter addresses her cheating father, who is leaving her mother behind for a woman who is younger than 23, the age of our unhappy narrator here.

I can’t imagine her mother would be particularly thrilled with her harrowing description of her faded charm, but the fact that Parton was willing to make a song out of a conversation like this at all is as impressive today as it was in 1969.

Come to think of it, her last album would’ve been a lot more interesting if she’d thrown in a few numbers like this.

Written by Dolly Parton

Grade: B

Listen: Daddy

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYm-6EivNjM

 

1 Comment

  1. I really like this one. I enjoy Dolly’s darker material. While I enjoyed the Better Day album overall, I do think it could have benefited from a few songs of this nature.

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