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Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” the true story behind the anthem (bonus)
Posted
August 30, 2026
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August 30, 2026
1,393
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26:22Now PlayingThe 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 mention Dollywood. Today though, we wanted to bring you the audacious true story of 9 to 5, the movie and the song.
Between the 1960s and 1980s, there was a real sense that big workplace changes were just beyond the horizon. At the time, a very common job for women was clerical work. In 1973, a group of secretaries in Boston formed a women's labor organization. They called themselves the "9to5."
Today on the show, we revisit our 2021 episode where we meet the women behind the movement that inspired the movie. And a look at how far we have — or haven't — come since then.
This is a special Sunday bonus episode. For our latest episode on inventing new tomatoes, scroll down the feed or click here () .
(NoteThis episode originally ran in 2021 () .)
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Today's episode was hosted by Sarah Gonzalez and Sonari Glinton. The original episode was produced by Nick Fountain and James Sneed and edited by Mitra Kaboli. The update was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, and engineered by Jimmy Keeley. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer.
Music: "9 to 5," "5 to 9," and "Fly on the Wall."
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