☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a divorce and the emotional challenges associated with it.
- The singer tries to hide the words 'divorce' and 'separation' from her son, which tears her apart inside.
- The singer loves both her son and her partner, but feels internally torn.
- The son may not fully understand the situation and believes that the spelled words have a positive meaning.
- The song lyrics express the desire to stop the divorce to restore happiness and family unity.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song 'D.I.V.O.R.C.E.' by
Dolly Parton are about a relationship that is falling apart and leading to a divorce. The lyrics describe the emotional challenges that the singer is facing as she tries to cope with the separation from her partner and at the same time stay strong for their shared child.
In the song, it becomes clear that the singer is trying to hide the words 'divorce' and 'separation' from her four-year-old son by spelling them out. She describes how hiding these words is tearing her apart inside: 'But the words we're hiding from him now are tearing me apart'.
The singer also makes it clear that the divorce will become official today and she and her son will 'go away'. Although she loves both her son and her partner, she feels torn inside and is suffering greatly from the separation: 'I love you both and this will be the purest hell to me'.
The lyrics also show how the son may not fully understand the situation and believes that the spelled out words mean something positive, like Christmas or birthday. This underscores the difficulty for the singer of hiding the truth and continuing to give her son a sense of happiness and normalcy.
Overall, the lyrics express the pain and challenges that come with a divorce, especially when a child is involved. Dolly Parton gives voice to her own emotional burden and expresses the wish that the divorce could be stopped to restore the happiness and unity of her family: 'Oh, I wish we could stop this divorce'.
The lyrics of the song 'D.I.V.O.R.C.E.' by Dolly Parton are thus an expression of the pain and difficulties that come with a divorce, especially when children are involved. It is an honest and emotional text that makes listeners identify with the feelings and challenges of the singer.