Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” the true story behind the anthem (bonus)
Planet Money
- Published
- August 30, 2026
- Duration
- 22:54
- Summary source
- description
- Last updated
- Sep 6, 2026
Discusses The brilliance of "9 to 5" is that it is catchy even though it’s also kinda depressing. You will be …
Summary
The brilliance of "9 to 5" is that it is catchy even though it’s also kinda depressing. You will be dancing along. You're enjoying it. And, then when you really listen to the lyrics, you're like, Wait, this is messed up. This is real. This is a problem we need to fix. Like, why does it have to be this way?That is the spirit of the song, why it became an a…
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Show notes
The brilliance of "9 to 5" is that it is catchy even though it’s also kinda depressing. You will be dancing along. You're enjoying it. And, then when you really listen to the lyrics, you're like, Wait, this is messed up. This is real. This is a problem we need to fix. Like, why does it have to be this way?That is the spirit of the song, why it became an anthem, and the heart of the movie 9 to 5. There’s so much to say about Dolly Parton, about her music, acting career, her business savvy, not to