Working closely with Rick Hall, Billy Sherrill, Dan Penn, Arthur Alexander, David Briggs, Jerry Carrigan and Norbert Putnam, Fritts was involved in many of the early songs and recordings created in the Muscle Shoals music industry.
In 2014, he appeared on Country Funk Vol. II, a compilation album from Light in the Attic. In 2015, he signed with Single Lock Records.
In 1965, Fritts signed with a Nashville publishing company. Songs which he wrote were recorded by Charlie Rich and Jerry Lee Lewis. He later met Kris Kristofferson who was just beginning a career in songwriting. When forming his band, Kristofferson called on Fritts, who continued as his keyboard player for over two decades, performing live, on recordings and in numerous movies.
Through his association with Kristofferson, Fritts appeared in three of Sam Peckinpah's movies: Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, and Convoy as well as other movies including A Star Is Born and Songwriter.
In 1974, Kristofferson and producer Jerry Wexler co-produced Prone To Lean at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Everybody's Got A Song was released in 1998. The album included guest appearances by Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, Waylon Jennings, Delbert McClinton, Tony Joe White, Leroy Parnell & John Prine. It would be another ten years before Fritts released his third album One Foot in the Groove in 2008 produced by Dan Penn with Ron Laury, recorded at Dandy Studio in Nashville.
Fritts died from complications of heart surgery on August 27, 2019.
Discography
Prone To Lean (1974)
Everybody's Got A Song (1997)
One Foot in the Groove (2008)
Oh My Goodness (2015)
June (A Tribute To Arthur Alexander) (2018)
Chart songs as a songwriter
Song Title Recording Artist US Chart
Year
"Easy To Love" Joe Simon 12 1977
"You're Gonna Love Yourself in The Morning" Bonnie Koloc 12 1974
"You're Gonna Love Yourself in The Morning" Charlie Rich 22 1980
"Choo Choo Train" Boxtops 26 1968
"We Had It All" Waylon Jennings 28 1973
"We Had It All" Dolly Parton 28 1986
"You're Gonna Love Yourself in The Morning" Roy Clark 35 1975
"Breakfast in Bed" Dusty Springfield b side of Son Of A Preacher Man 10 1968
"Breakfast in Bed" UB40 featuring Chrissie Hynde 8 1988
Jerry Jeff Walker's 1975 Song "Pissin' in the Wind" opens with a dedication to Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, "Funky Donnie Fritts" and Billy Swan.
Born in Florence, Alabama in 1942, Donnie Fritts began his career as a musician at the age of 15, playing drums and keyboard.
In 1965 Fritts began writing songs and had songs recorded by Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson and others.
As a songwriter, Donnie's songs were performed and appeared on the national charts by Charlie Rich (You're Gonna Love Yourself In the Morning' (1980), Dolly Parton (We Had It All-1986), and Waylon Jennings (We Had It All-1973).
In 1967, Fritts began playing keyboards for Kris Kristofferson, also a Florence, Alabama native, a relationship that spanned 20 years and in locations both nationally and internationally.
Donnie appeared in several movies with Kris Kristofferson, including 'The Last Years of Frank and Jesse James' (1986-TV), 'Songwriter' (1984), 'Convoy'(1978), and 'A Star is Born' (1976), and two other Sam Peckinpah's movies in addition to 'Convoy'; 'Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid' (1973) and 'Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia' (1974).
In 1998, Donnie released an album 'Everybody's Got A Song' which includes guest appearances by Willie Nelson, Tony Joe White, and Kris Kristofferson and John Prine, as well as many others.
In 2001, Fritts had a kidney transplant that closely followed seven heart operations.
While he was recovering in the hospital after the transplant, a friend asked how he was doing. Fritts responded that he had "one foot in the groove." It became the title of a CD in 2008.
On February 22, 2008, Kristofferson was on hand in Montgomery, Alabma to induct Donnie into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
On March 06, 2008, Donnie Fritts who is active on the Muscle Shoals (Alabama) music scene appeared with Billy Bob Thornton for The Billy Bob Bash: A Muscle Scoals Homecoming at the Shoals Theatre in downtown Florence, Alabama as a part of the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival. In 2008 Billy Bob and Donnie also began co-writing several new songs.
All The Time
Donnie Fritts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
IF THEY TOOK APART MY HEART
JUST TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD SEE
WELL, THEY'D SEE THAT MISERY
WHERE YOU KEEP HURTING ME
YOU KEEP HURTING ME ALL THE TIME
AND IF THEY LOOKED INTO MY BRAIN
WELL THE EVIDENCE IS THERE, IT'S PLAIN
HOW YOU KEEP USING ME, BABY
ABUSING ME, BABY
REFUSING ME ALL THE TIME
DO DOODLY DO
NOW WHY DON'T I LEAVE YOU
WHY DO I STAY
I GUESS I KEEP HOPING
YOU'LL CHANGE SOMEDAY
SOMEDAY
AND IF THEY TOOK A LOOK IN YOUR SOUL
JUST TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD UNFOLD
THEY'D SEE THAT YOU DON'T CARE
CAUSE YOU AIN'T FAIR
YOU NEVER CARED
ALL THE TIME
DO DOODLY DO
WELL YOU LEAD ME DOWN THE DARKEST PART I'VE EVER SEEN
AND YOU CAME INTO MY HEART, TORE APART ALL MY DREAMS
YOU JUST KEPT HURTING ME, BABY
HURTING ME
YOU KEEP HURTING ME
ALL THE TIME
DO DOODLY DO
The lyrics to Donnie Fritts's song "All the Time" delve into the theme of a toxic and abusive relationship. Fritts portrays himself as the victim, expressing the pain and misery caused by his partner. The song begins by suggesting that if someone were to examine Fritts's heart, they would witness the constant suffering inflicted upon him by his partner. Despite this, he remains in the relationship, questioning why he stays and hoping for a change someday.
Fritts continues by exploring his emotions more deeply, stating that evidence of his mistreatment can be found in his brain. His partner repeatedly uses, abuses, and refuses him, never offering him genuine care or fairness. The lyrics suggest that Fritts's partner's soul would reveal their indifference and lack of concern for his well-being.
The chorus "DO DOODLY DO" serves as a simple and repeated refrain, almost as if Fritts is using it to distract himself from the pain or to add a touch of irony and playfulness to the somber subject matter.
Overall, "All the Time" paints a picture of a deeply troubled relationship marked by emotional and psychological abuse. Fritts remains trapped in this cycle of hurt, questioning his own inability to leave and hoping for a change that may never come.
Line by Line Meaning
IF THEY TOOK APART MY HEART
If someone dissected my heart
JUST TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD SEE
To discover its secrets
WELL, THEY'D SEE THAT MISERY
They would witness the pain and sorrow
WHERE YOU KEEP HURTING ME
Caused by your continuous harm
YOU KEEP HURTING ME ALL THE TIME
You consistently inflict pain on me
AND IF THEY LOOKED INTO MY BRAIN
If someone examined my thoughts
WELL THE EVIDENCE IS THERE, IT'S PLAIN
They would find clear proof
HOW YOU KEEP USING ME, BABY
Of how you continuously manipulate me, my dear
ABUSING ME, BABY
Exploiting me, my dear
REFUSING ME ALL THE TIME
Rejecting me persistently
NOW WHY DON'T I LEAVE YOU
Why don't I walk away from you
WHY DO I STAY
Why do I remain
I GUESS I KEEP HOPING
I suppose I continue to hold onto hope
YOU'LL CHANGE SOMEDAY
That one day you'll transform
AND IF THEY TOOK A LOOK IN YOUR SOUL
If someone examined your inner self
JUST TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD UNFOLD
To uncover your true nature
THEY'D SEE THAT YOU DON'T CARE
They would realize your lack of concern
CAUSE YOU AIN'T FAIR
Since you are unjust
YOU NEVER CARED
You never showed genuine care
ALL THE TIME
Consistently and constantly
WELL YOU LEAD ME DOWN THE DARKEST PART I'VE EVER SEEN
You guided me into the deepest, most dismal place I've encountered
AND YOU CAME INTO MY HEART, TORE APART ALL MY DREAMS
You entered my heart and shattered all my aspirations
YOU JUST KEPT HURTING ME, BABY
You continued to harm me, my dear
HURTING ME
Causing me pain
YOU KEEP HURTING ME
You persist in inflicting pain on me
ALL THE TIME
Without pause or respite
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: A. ALEXANDER, DONNIE FRITTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind