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

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

Dottie West's hit song "D.I.V.O.R.C.E" portrays the heartbreak of a couple's separation through the perspective of a mother trying to protect her four-year-old son from the harsh reality of their family's situation. The lyrics describe the coping mechanism used by the couple to conceal their discussions of the impending divorce from their young child. In an effort to shield him from sorrow and pain, they spell out words like "toy," not wanting him to comprehend the true meaning of words like "divorce," which is becoming final on the day the song is set. This approach, however, only worsens the mother's pain as it forces her to confront her failed marriage and cope with the agony of being separated from her son. The song evokes a powerful sense of melancholy as the singer resigns herself to the inevitable reality of her family's separation, which will result in her and her child "going away."

The chorus "Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final today, Me and little J-O-E will be goin' away" express the mother's feeling of helplessness and despair as she says goodbye to her son and accepts the enormous emotional toll of divorce. The lyrics reveal her heartbreak, her commitment to her son, and her regret over the failed relationship: "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."

Ultimately, "D.I.V.O.R.C.E" presents a heartbreaking portrayal of the impact of a marriage ending, especially when children are involved. The song highlights the pain, anger, and sadness of parents who must face this reality and whose love for their child may never falter despite the end of the relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Our little boy is four years old and quite a little man
Although our son is young, he is smart and understands more than we think.

So we spell out the words we don't want him to understand
When we talk about things that might upset him, we spell out the words so he can't hear them.

Like T-O-Y or maybe S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E
We spell out simple words like 'toy' or 'surprise' to protect him from understanding more complex or painful things.

But the words we're hiding from him now tear the heart right out of me
Even though we spell out words to protect our son, talking about our divorce in this way is painful and heartbreaking for me.

Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final today
Today is the day that our divorce is officially ending.

Me and little J-O-E will be goin' away
My son and I will be leaving and starting a new life without his father.

I love you both and it will be pure H-E double L for me
I love my son and my husband, but this divorce is going to be incredibly difficult for me emotionally.

Oh, I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E
I wish that our marriage could be saved and that we didn't have to get a divorce.

Watch him smile, he thinks it Christmas or his 5th Birthday
Despite the pain and sadness of our divorce, our son is still happy and innocent, and we try to protect that happiness as much as we can.

And he thinks C-U-S-T-O-D-Y spells fun or play
Our son doesn't understand the full meaning of words like 'custody,' and right now it doesn't mean anything negative to him.

I spell out all the hurtin' words, and turn my head when I speak
When I have to talk about things that are painful, I spell out the words so my son can't hear them, and sometimes I have to look away to hide my emotions.

'Cause I can't spell away this hurt, that's drippin' down my cheek
Even though we spell out words to protect our son, it doesn't take away the pain and sadness I feel, which sometimes shows through in my tears.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL ARNOLD KAMEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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