Dorothy Marie Marsh was born in Tennessee on October 11, 1932. A survivor a… Read Full Bio ↴Dorothy Marie Marsh was born in Tennessee on October 11, 1932. A survivor at heart, Dottie lived through a childhood of savage beatings and sexual abuse from her father. The always hopeful Dottie was always dreaming of making a profession out of singing. While in college Dottie meet her first husband Bill West, who would give her her name. Together the couple would get gigs on local tv and clubs. it wasn't until the success of Dottie’s singles "An Angel on Paper" and "Let Me Off At the Corner" did Dottie start to make a name for herself. Those minor hits were followed by a top 10 hit with Jim Reeves called "Love Is No Excuse." There was no doubt that Dottie west was one of the hottest rising stars and her follow up #1 "Here Comes My Baby" proved it.

Throughout the sixties, seventies, and eighties Dottie pumped out chart toppers like no other. she was selling out concerts, selling millions of records, staring in movies, winning Grammies, Clieos and any other kind of awards you can think of. There is no doubt that the little girl from Tennessee came a long way. Dottie West earned herself the respect of everyone in the music industry and countless fans. If not for her music, most people remember her for either her stage presence or overall good nature. She was always looking out for others and going out of her way to do things for fans, family and friends. Despite Dottie's constant chart presence and sold out concerts her foundation fell out from under her when she discovered that she was a victim of a sneaky accountant and was overpowered by the IRS to give up all she owned. And ALL is ALL. The list of Dottie's personal momentous included the rights to all her music (I believe she wrote well over 400). All Dottie did was look out for others and this is how she was treated...disgusting if you ask me! But Dottie had dignity and started to rebuild her empire.

On august 30, 1991 Dottie was scheduled to appear at The Grand Old Opry. Her car broke down and, determined to keep her promise, she flagged down a passing driver and got a ride. On the way the driver lost control of the car and crashed. Battered, beaten and suffering from the wreck, Dottie pulled the driver from the car herself. She died due to injuries from the accident days later while in the hospital.

D.I.V.O.R.C.E.
Dottie West Lyrics

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Our little boy is four years old and quite a little man
So we spell out the words we don't want him to understand
Like T-O-Y or maybe S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E
But the words we're hiding from him now
Tear the heart right out of me

[Chorus]
Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final today

Me and little J-O-E will be goin' away
I love you both and it will be pure H-E double L for me
Oh, I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E

Watch him smile, he thinks it Christmas or his 5th Birthday
And he thinks C-U-S-T-O-D-Y spells fun or play
I spell out all the hurtin' words, and turn my head when I speak
'Cause I can't spell away this hurt
That's drippin' down my cheek

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dottie West's song "Divorce" talk about the emotional pain experienced by a parent going through a divorce, specifically how it affects their child. The first verse talks about how the child is still young but old enough to recognize some words. The parents have resorted to spelling out certain words, but the ones that truly hurt cannot be concealed. The chorus reveals that the divorce is now final and the mother and her son will be leaving. The mother expresses her love for her child and husband but knows that for herself, this is going to be a terrible experience.

The second verse highlights the fact that the little boy is still very naive and happy, unaware of the forthcoming changes. He believes that words such as "C-U-S-T-O-D-Y" are spells for fun or playtime, unaware of the true meaning behind them. The mother tries to avoid saying certain words but cannot hide from the pain they cause her. The chorus is repeated again, and the mother wishes that they could stop this divorce, but it is too late.

Overall, the lyrics of "Divorce" effectively portray the emotional toll of divorce on not just the adults involved but also the innocent children who have to bear the consequences.

Line by Line Meaning

Our little boy is four years old and quite a little man
Our child is young but has already grown to be independent and mature.

So we spell out the words we don't want him to understand
We use coded language to avoid exposing our child to hurtful and distressing information.

Like T-O-Y or maybe S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E
We substitute certain words with letters in order to deceive our child.

But the words we're hiding from him now
The information we're hiding from our child is deeply distressing.

Tear the heart right out of me
Keeping this information hidden is emotionally devastating for me.

Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final today
Our divorce has been officially finalized today.

Me and little J-O-E will be goin' away
My child and I will be leaving and transitioning to a new way of life.

I love you both and it will be pure H-E double L for me
Despite my love for my child and soon-to-be ex-spouse, this situation will be incredibly difficult and painful for me.

Oh, I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E
I deeply regret and wish that our marriage could have been salvaged and we could have avoided this outcome.

Watch him smile, he thinks it Christmas or his 5th Birthday
Despite our difficulties, our child remains innocent and unaware of the gravity of the situation.

And he thinks C-U-S-T-O-D-Y spells fun or play
Our child does not understand the implications of custody and sees it as an exciting aspect of his new life.

I spell out all the hurtin' words, and turn my head when I speak
I take care to shield my child from the distressing information we must discuss.

'Cause I can't spell away this hurt
As much as I try to hide the pain from my child, I can't ignore or erase the immense emotional pain our family is experiencing.

D.I.V.O.R.C.E.Dottie West Lyrics

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D.I.V.O.R.C.E.
Dottie West Lyrics