February 2, 2021
Dolly Parton’s hit song “9 to 5” is a rousing critique of the American workplace. Released in 1980 as the theme song for the film
9 to 5, co-starring Parton, the lyrics tell the story of an ambitious, hard-working woman with a job that barely pays the bills and a boss who takes her ideas without giving her credit. It’s a song about keeping your spirits up while railing at a system that’s rigged against you. “It’s a rich man’s game / No matter what they call it,” Parton concludes, “And you spend your life / Putting money in his wallet.”