Writing teachers always tell their students to write what they know. The same can be said about singers.
Country singer Tammy Wynette already had been divorced twice when she recorded “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” on March 22, 1968. She also had an annulment that year. She married five times before she died in 1998 at age 55.
Wynette had her first hit in 1967, “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad.” The song reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Country Music chart. She is best known for her 1975 hit “Stand By Your Man.” She co-wrote it. It reached No. 1 on the country chart and No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Wynette didn’t write our Song of the Day; two men did, Bobby Braddock and Curly Putnam. They were no slouches. This was the first of 13 No. 1 hits Braddock wrote. Putnam wrote “Green, Green Grass of Home.” They combined to write “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” sung by Wynette’s husband George Jones. It’s considered one of the greatest country songs ever, according to songfacts.com.
“D-I-V-O-R-C-E” is written from the perspective of a woman. She spells out divorce, hell and custody so her 4-year-old son won’t understand what she is saying.
According to songfacts.com, Braddock told Rolling Stone Country he asked Putnam why nobody was recording the song. Putnam said the melody was too happy for what the song was about. He created a mournful melody and Wynette recorded it a short time later. Putnam didn’t want to take a writing credit but finally agreed to take 25 percent of the royalties.
The song zoomed to No. 1 on the country chart and 63 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Song of the Day is created by Sheldon Zoldan, and produced by Pam James for WGCU. Audio production is by Simon Dunham, WGCU. To receive the Song of the Day in your inbox every day, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
