Dolly Parton

Released: March 6, 1972

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

[Verse 1]
The neon lights of a movie marquee
Says the show today is Love Is Free
And inside a boy and a girl on a date
Their folks are gone away
They're going to stay out late
A little later on in a lover's lane
They park in the dark with their hearts in flames
He says "oh baby go along with me
I need you so and love is free"

[Verse 2]
In a simple little room in a Chattanooga home
For girls that need a friend and are all alone
She waits for a letter that never comes
From a boy that won't admit what he's done
She had to leave school because she couldn't stand the shame
Her daddy said she ruined the family name
Her mama cries herself to sleep at night
That's no way to start a young girl's life

[Chorus]
Love isn't free, no it ain't free
No matter what they say somebody has to pay for love

[Verse 3]
In an orphanage home, a sad little girl
Six years old and all alone in the world
She knows by now what they never say
That she once had a mama, but she gave her away
People come to visit but don't choose Marie
She cries at the door "nobody loves me"
And somewhere a boy doesn't care at all
That her tears at night stains her little rag doll

[Chorus]
Love isn't free, no it ain't free
No matter what they say somebody has to pay for love
No matter what they say, look who's paying for love

Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, author, and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music

Beginning her career as a child performer, Parton issued a few modestly successful singles from 1959 through the mid-1960s, showcasing her distinctive soprano voice. She came to greater prominence in 1967 as a featured performer on singer Porter Wagoner’s weekly television program; their first duet single, a cover of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind”, was a top-ten hit on the country singles charts, and led to several successful albums before they ended their partnership in 1974. Moving towards mainstream pop music, Parton’s 1977 single “Here You Come Again” was a success on both the country and pop charts. A string of pop-country hits followed into the mid-1980s, the most successful being her 1981 hit 9 to 5" (from the film of the same name), and her 1983 duet with Kenny Rogers “Islands in the Stream”, both of which topped the U.S. pop and country singles charts. A pair of albums recorded with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris were among her later successes. In the late 1990s, Parton returned to classic country/bluegrass with a series of acclaimed recordings

more tracks from the album

Touch Your Woman

From the album

Touch Your Woman (1972)

Dolly Parton popular songs

Love Isn’t FreeDolly Parton

Dolly Parton

Touch Your Woman