9 to 5 (Dolly Parton song)

{{short description|Original song written and composed by Dolly Parton; theme song from the film "9 to 5"}}

{{Infobox song

| name = 9 to 5

| cover = 9to5sleeve.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Dolly Parton

| album = 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs

| B-side = Sing for the Common Man

| released = November 3, 1980

| recorded = 1980

| genre = * Country pop

disco

| length = 2:43

| label = RCA Nashville

| writer = Dolly Parton

| producer = Gregg Perry

| prev_title = Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You

| prev_year = 1980

| next_title = But You Know I Love You

| next_year = 1981

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|UbxUSsFXYo4|"9 to 5"}}}}

}}

"9 to 5" is a song written and recorded by American entertainer Dolly Parton for the 1980 comedy film 9 to 5. In addition to appearing on the film's soundtrack, the song was the centerpiece and opening track of Parton's album 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, released in late 1980.

Released as a single in November 1980, the song garnered Parton an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 53rd Academy Awards and three Grammy Award nominations including Song of the Year, winning her the awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance, Female at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards. Parton received an additional Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special Grammy nomination for the 9 to 5 soundtrack alongside composer Charles Fox. For a time, it became something of an anthem for office workers in the US, and in 2004, it ranked at number 78 on the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Songs.

The song was accompanied by a music video that featured footage of Parton and her band performing, intercut with scenes from the film.

Background

The song was written for the comedy film 9 to 5, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton in her film debut; both the song and the film owe their titles to 9to5, an organization founded in 1973 to bring about fair pay and equal treatment for women in the workplace.{{Cite book|title=Dolly Parton, gender, and country music|last=Edwards|first=Leigh H.|isbn=9780253031549|location=Bloomington, IN | publisher = Indiana University Press |oclc=981116971|year = 2018}}

The song is also featured in a musical theater adaptation of the film, featuring a book by the film's original writer, Patricia Resnick, and 20 additional songs written by Dolly Parton. The musical began showing previews in Los Angeles on September 9, 2008, and played on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre from April until September 2009 before touring. In 2012, a UK theatre tour of 9 to 5 began.

A few months before Parton's song and the film, Scottish singer Sheena Easton released a single called "9 to 5" in the UK. When Easton's song was released in the U.S. the following year it was renamed "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" to avoid confusion. Easton's single topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart three months after Parton's song left that spot. Despite similar titles, the two songs differ in lyrical themes. While Parton's song is about a working woman, Easton's song is about a woman waiting at home for her lover to return from work.

Rolling Stone called "9 to 5" Parton's "most transformative song", ranking it at number 7 on its list of the 50 Best Dolly Parton songs.{{cite magazine |first=Stephen |last=Betts |title=The 50 Best Dolly Parton Songs|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-dolly-parton-songs-1234701711/9-to-5-1234701861|magazine=Rolling Stone |date = April 5, 2023|access-date=April 14, 2023}}

Commercial performance

"9 to 5" reached number one on the Billboard Country chart in January 1981.{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=262}} In February 1981, it went to number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Adult Contemporary charts, respectively. It became Parton's first and only solo number one entry on the former, as Parton would later team up with Kenny Rogers on their number one duet "Islands in the Stream".{{cite book |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2002 |publisher=Record Research |page=190}} The song was certified gold by the RIAA on February 19, 1981, indicating shipment of 1,000,000 physical copies. It was certified platinum on September 25, 2017. The song has accrued 500,000 digital downloads {{as of|2019|2|lc=y}} in the United States after it was made available for download in the 21st century.{{cite news|url=http://roughstock.com/news/2019/02/43659-top-30-digital-country-singles-sales-chart-february-20-2019|title=Top 30 Digital Country Singles Sales Chart: February 20, 2019|work=RoughStock|first=Matt |last=Bjorke |date= February 20, 2019 |access-date=March 24, 2019 }}

Despite peaking at number 47 on the UK Singles Chart in 1981, it has sold 303,511 digital copies in the UK {{as of|2014|July|lc=y}}.{{cite web |url= http://countryroutesnews.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/country-bites-news-snippets-june-30.html |date=July 13, 2014 |title=Country Bites News snippets June 30 – July 6, 2014 |work=Country Routes News }} {{as of|2017}}, it is Parton's most downloaded track in the UK, totaling 340,800 downloads, while it has also been streamed 8.46 million times.{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/dolly-parton-s-biggest-hits-of-the-digital-age-in-the-uk-revealed__16085/|title=Happy Birthday Dolly Parton! Her most downloaded songs in the UK revealed|website=officialcharts.com}} It remains popular on radio and in nightclubs throughout the UK and was spliced between "Independent Women Part 1" by Destiny's Child and "Eple" by Röyksopp for the Soulwax album As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2.

The track also topped the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart and reached the top 10 in Austria, Belgium, Sweden, South Africa, Oceania and the Netherlands.

Legacy

"9 to 5" is one of the few Billboard chart songs to feature the clacking of a typewriter. Parton has stated in numerous interviews that when she wrote the song, she devised the clacking typewriter rhythm by running her acrylic fingernails back and forth against one another.{{cite web|url=http://www.movieweb.com/dvd/news/71/11871.php |title=Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton Relive 9 To 5 |access-date=August 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060407023514/http://www.movieweb.com/dvd/news/71/11871.php |archive-date=April 7, 2006 }}

With this song, Parton became only the second woman to top both the U.S. country singles chart and the Billboard Hot 100 with the same single; the first was 1968's "Harper Valley PTA" by Jeannie C. Riley, which Parton had coincidentally covered in her 1969 album, In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad).

"9 to 5" served at the theme song for the mid-1980s sitcom 9 to 5 which derived from the film. Phoebe Snow sang the theme for the four-episode premiere season, which aired in March and April 1982; however, Parton would be heard singing the theme for the sitcom's 1982–1983 run and for its 1986–1988 revival.

Songwriters Neil and Jan Goldberg filed a lawsuit against Parton, claiming that "9 to 5" was a copy of their 1976 song "Money World". In December 1985 the court ruled in Parton's favor.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-19-mn-30370-story.html|title=Parton's '9 to 5' Is All Her Own, Jury Decides|work=Los Angeles Times|first=George|last=Ramos|date=December 19, 1985|access-date=January 2, 2022

}}

In 1985, the air freight company Emery Worldwide used the tune with advertising lyrics in some TV commercials.{{cite web | url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=la_3fXGSbLw&pp=ygUaZW1lcnkgd29ybGR3aWRlIGNvbW1lcmNpYWw%3D | title=80's Ads: Emery Worldwide "Working 9 to 5" homage 1985 | website=YouTube | date=December 23, 2014 }}

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren frequently used the song at campaign appearances during her 2020 presidential campaign, with it often playing when she took the stage.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/09/us/politics/elizabeth-warren-2020.html|title=Elizabeth Warren Formally Announces 2020 Presidential Bid in Lawrence, Mass.|last=Taylor|first=Kate|date=February 9, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 10, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/elizabeth-warren-launches-2020-bid-call-ignore-cowards-go-big-n969691 |title=Elizabeth Warren launches 2020 bid with call to ignore 'cowards' and go big |date=February 10, 2019 |publisher=NBC News |access-date=February 11, 2019}}{{cite magazine |title=Wired Suggests Updated Theme Songs for Presidential Hopefuls |url=https://www.wired.com/story/democratic-presidential-campaign-songs/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=September 1, 2019 |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Fischer |first1=Jonathan L. |title=The Correct Ranking of the Presidential Candidates' Song Choices at the Iowa Democrats' Hall of Fame Event |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/06/democratic-presidential-candidates-walk-on-music-ranked.html |website=Slate |access-date=September 1, 2019 |language=en |date=June 10, 2019}} Reacting to the song's use, Parton's manager Danny Nozell said, "We did not approve the request, and we do not approve requests like this of (a) political nature."{{Cite news|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a26795885/dolly-parton-elizabeth-warren-9-to-5/|title=Elizabeth Warren Used Dolly Parton's '9 to 5' Without Her Permission|last=Kirkland|first=Justin|date=March 12, 2019|work=Esquire}} The song was sung from the public gallery of the New Zealand Parliament by supporters of Green Party MP Jan Logie at the conclusion of her veladictory address, and is thus recorded in Hansard.{{cite web |title=Valedictory Statements - New Zealand Parliament |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20230822_20230824_42 |access-date=August 28, 2023 |website=Hansard |publisher=New Zealand House of Representatives}}

In early 2021, Parton recorded a new version of the song titled "5 to 9" for a Squarespace advert in the Super Bowl LV.{{Cite web|last=Willman|first=Chris|date=February 2, 2021|title=Dolly Parton Remakes '9 to 5' as '5 to 9' for Damien Chazelle-Directed Super Bowl Ad Spot|url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/dolly-parton-remake-9-to-5-squarespace-super-bowl-ad-campaign-1234898226/|url-status=live|access-date=April 21, 2021|website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202165900/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/dolly-parton-remake-9-to-5-squarespace-super-bowl-ad-campaign-1234898226/ |archive-date=February 2, 2021 }}

The song appeared in the opening scenes of the films The Love Guru performed by Mike Myers on the sitar as his character Guru Pitka and Deadpool 2 with Deadpool himself (Ryan Reynolds) using it in a sequence where he kills a series of people in his mercenary job, even starting the music by declaring "hit it, Dolly" immediately before.

The song was featured in the post-credits scene of the Gravity Falls episode “Summerween”.

It was also featured in The Orville episode "Sanctuary", in which the song was chosen by Haveena (Rena Owen), the leader of female fugitives as an anthem of their attempted revolution.

"9 to 5" was also interpolated into the 2024 song "Powerful Women" by Pitbull, which features Parton herself re-recording the song's chorus alongside adding new lines. Pitbull later declared on X that it was "an honor to be collaborating with one of music's most powerful women".{{Cite web |title=Pitbull Celebrates His Music Collab with 'Living Legend' Dolly Parton — Which Samples Her Iconic Song '9 to 5' |url=https://people.com/pitbull-dolly-parton-meet-after-collaborating-powerful-women-8603533 |access-date=March 6, 2024 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}

The song was featured in "After Hours", the first episode of The Penguin.

Personnel

Dolly Parton – lead vocals, nails{{Cite news|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/10/dolly-parton-nails-9-to-5-graham-norton-show|title=Dolly Parton Explains Why Her Acrylic Nails Are Credited as a Musical Instrument on Her Album|last=Kirkpatrick|first=Emily|date=October 13, 2020|work=Vanity Fair|access-date=May 26, 2021|language=en-US|issn=0733-8899}}
Jeff Baxter, Marty Walsh – guitars
Abraham Laboriel – bass
Larry Knechtel – piano
Rick Shlosser – drums
Leonard Castro – percussion
William Reichenbach – trombone
Tom Saviano – saxophone
Kim S. Hutchroft – baritone saxophone
Jerry Hey – trumpet
Denise Mainelli DeCaro, Stephanie Spruill, Marty McCall – background vocals

Charts

= Weekly charts =

scope="row"\| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web\|url=http://www.austchartbook.com.au/ \|title=Australian Chart Book \|website=Austchartbook.com.au \|access-date=October 16, 2016 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160305064644/http://www.austchartbook.com.au/ \|archive-date=March 5, 2016 }} \| 9
class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center" \|+Weekly chart performance for "9 to 5" !scope="col"\|Chart (1980–1981) !scope="col"\|Peak position
{{single chart\|Austria\|5\|artist=Dolly Parton\|song=9 To 5\|access-date=January 18, 2018\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Flanders\|5\|artist=Dolly Parton\|song=9 To 5\|access-date=January 18, 2018\|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"\|Canada (CBC){{cite book\|last=Lwin\|first=Nanda\|title=Top 40 hits: The Essential Chart Guide\|year=2000\|publisher=Music Data Canada\|location=Mississauga, Ont.\|isbn=1-896594-13-1\|author-link=Nanda Lwin}} \| 2
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|1\|chartid=0371\|access-date=February 14, 2021\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|10\|year=1981\|week=18\|access-date=August 5, 2021\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|15\|artist=Dolly Parton\|song=9 To 5\|access-date=January 18, 2018\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|New Zealand\|9\|artist=Dolly Parton\|song=9 To 5\|access-date=January 18, 2018\|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"\|South Africa (Springbok Radio){{cite web\|title=SA Charts 1965 – March 1989\|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(P).html\|access-date=September 5, 2018}} \| 9
{{single chart\|Sweden\|6\|artist=Dolly Parton\|song=9 To 5\|access-date=January 18, 2018\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|UK\|47\|date=19810314\|access-date=February 14, 2021\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Billboardhot100\|1\|artist=Dolly Parton\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Billboardadultcontemporary\|1\|artist=Dolly Parton\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Billboardcountrysongs\|1\|artist=Dolly Parton\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|West Germany\|46\|artist=Dolly Parton\|song=9 To 5\|songid=20443\|access-date=January 18, 2018\|rowheader=true}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center" \|+Year-end chart performance for "9 to 5" !scope="col"\|Chart (1981) !scope="col"\|Position
scope="row"\|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web\|title= National Top 100 Singles for 1981 \|publisher= Kent Music Report \|issue= 393 \|page= 7 \|via= Imgur \|date= January 4, 1982 \|access-date=January 11, 2022 \|url= https://i.imgur.com/RgsDOOc.jpg}} \| 56
scope="row"\|Belgium (Ultratop Flanders){{cite web\|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1981\|title=Jaaroverzichten 1981\|publisher=Ultratop\|access-date=August 5, 2021}} \| 45
scope="row"\|Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4689&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4689.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4689\|title=Top 100 Singles of 1981\|magazine=RPM\|via=Library and Archives Canada\|access-date=February 14, 2021}} \| 6
scope="row"\|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web\|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1981\|title=Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981\|publisher=Dutch Top 40\|access-date=August 5, 2021}} \| 84
scope="row"\|Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web\|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1981&cat=s\|title=Jaaroverzichten – Single 1981\|website=dutchcharts.nl\|access-date=August 5, 2021}} \| 76
scope="row"\|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web\|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1981.htm \|title=Top 100 Hits of 1981/Top 100 Songs of 1981 \|website=Musicoutfitters.com \|access-date=October 16, 2016}} \| 9
scope="row"\|US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1981/adult-contemporary-songs\|title=Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1981\|magazine=Billboard\|access-date=August 5, 2021}} \| 9

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"

|+Year-end chart performance for "9 to 5"

!scope="col"|Chart (1981)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|title= National Top 100 Singles for 1981 |publisher= Kent Music Report |issue= 393 |page= 7 |via= Imgur |date= January 4, 1982 |access-date=January 11, 2022 |url= https://i.imgur.com/RgsDOOc.jpg}}

| 56

scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop Flanders){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1981|title=Jaaroverzichten 1981|publisher=Ultratop|access-date=August 5, 2021}}

| 45

scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4689&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4689.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4689|title=Top 100 Singles of 1981|magazine=RPM|via=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=February 14, 2021}}

| 6

scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1981|title=Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981|publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=August 5, 2021}}

| 84

scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1981&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten – Single 1981|website=dutchcharts.nl|access-date=August 5, 2021}}

| 76

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1981.htm |title=Top 100 Hits of 1981/Top 100 Songs of 1981 |website=Musicoutfitters.com |access-date=October 16, 2016}}

| 9

scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1981/adult-contemporary-songs|title=Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1981|magazine=Billboard|access-date=August 5, 2021}}

| 9

Certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|artist=Dolly Parton|title=9 to 5|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=1981|certyear=2021|access-date=February 4, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Dolly Parton|title=9 to 5|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=1981|certyear=2021|access-date=December 14, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|artist=Dolly Parton|title=9 to 5|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1981|certyear=2022|id=11101|access-date=March 9, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Dolly Parton|title=9 to 5|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=1981|source=radioscope|access-date=December 14, 2024|certyear=2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|artist=Dolly Parton|award=Platinum|type=single|certyear=2021|access-date=November 5, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Dolly Parton|title=9 to 5|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=2007|certyear=2024|id=166-30-1|access-date=February 16, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Dolly Parton|title=9 to 5|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=1981|certyear=2023|accessdate=May 24, 2023|refname=RIAA}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|artist=Dolly Parton|title=9 to 5|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=1999|certyear=2021|source=artist|access-date=March 4, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streamsonly=true}}

References

External links

[https://www.lyricsupdate.com/2021/03/9-to-5-lyrics-english.html 9 to 5 lyrics] at [https://www.lyricsupdate.com/2021/03/9-to-5-lyrics-english.html LyricsUpdate.com]

Category:1980 songs

Category:1980 singles

Category:1981 singles

Category:Dolly Parton songs

Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles

Category:Cashbox number-one singles

Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles

Category:Film theme songs

Category:Songs written by Dolly Parton

Category:RCA Records singles

Category:Songs about labor

Category:Songs with feminist themes