To Daddy
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"To Daddy"" is a
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
song, written by
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
. It was performed by Emmylou Harris in the 1970s, included on her album '' Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town'' and released as a single. Having reached number three on Billboard's Hot Country chart, Harris's version is the most familiar to most people.


Content

''To Daddy'' is said to describe the pain Parton's mother experienced as she ignored her husband's occasional affairs and his lack of affection. It relates to how her mother, in having the family's best interest at heart and to be the best possible mother she could to her children, that she stood by her husband through difficult times. (Unlike Parton's parents, however, who remained together, the mother in the song ultimately leaves the family.) In the song, related from the vantage point of a teenage girl, her mother seems to not care that her husband is neglectful and cold, concluding each verse with, "if she did, she never did say so to Daddy". In the final verse, however, the family members wake one morning to find a note in which their mother confesses that she stayed for as long as she had because her children needed her, but now that they are getting older and don't need her as much, she's left to search for the love and affection that she never received from her husband.


Critical reception

In 1979, shortly after Emmylou Harris covered the song, the ''Teenager'' described the song as "being like an O. Henry short story". '' Billboard'' called it "a fine interpretation". Harris's rendition of the song appears on her album ''Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town.'' Released as a single in 1977, it peaked at number 3 on the '' Billboard'' country singles charts. It was also a Number One single on the ''
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'' Country Tracks charts in Canada. Harris' recording of the song was included on the 2003 tribute album '' Just Because I'm a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton.''


Other versions

Parton's own rendition of the song, recorded in 1976, was intended to appear on her '' All I Can Do'' album, but was ultimately not included on the album; the recording later appeared on her 1995 compilation "The Essential Dolly Parton One".


Chart positions


References

{{Emmylou Harris 1977 singles Songs written by Dolly Parton Emmylou Harris songs Dolly Parton songs Warner Records singles 1977 songs Song recordings produced by Brian Ahern (producer)