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.

Rings of Gold
Dottie West Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I remember when you said
With this ring I thee wed
Now you've gone betrayed my trust
Rings of gold have turned to rust
Tears may wash away the sin
Love that's dead can live again
Knowing there's no hope for us
Turns these rings of gold to rust

Plans we've made just yesterday
Sands of time have chipped away
Now they've crumbed into dust
Rings of gold have turned rust
Love before was clean and pure
Now no more can I be sure

You will not betray my trust
Rings of gold have turned to rust

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dottie West's "Rings of Gold" are a poignant commentary on the fragility of love and the disappointment and hurt that can come from broken promises. The song begins with a recollection of a time when the singer and their partner exchanged vows of commitment and exchanged rings as a symbol of their love. However, as the relationship progressed, the partner fell short of the commitment and betrayed the trust of the singer. This betrayal is likened to a transformation of the once-treasured rings of gold to rust, tarnished and devalued.

Despite the pain and hurt caused by the betrayal, the singer still holds out hope that love can be rekindled and that healing can occur. They recognize the possibility for forgiveness and redemption but also acknowledge that the damage may be too great. The final lyrics of the song suggest a sense of resignation, as the singer recognizes that the love they once shared has disintegrated into nothing more than dust and memories.

Line by Line Meaning

I remember when you said
I recall the exact moment when you made a promise

With this ring I thee wed
The promise was made during a marriage ceremony

Now you've gone betrayed my trust
Unfortunately, you have broken the promise and my trust in you

Rings of gold have turned to rust
The once-strong symbol of our love and commitment is now worthless and corroded

Tears may wash away the sin
Crying can help to cleanse the soul and ease the pain of betrayal

Love that's dead can live again
Although love may seem gone, it can be regained under the right circumstances

Knowing there's no hope for us
Even though I wish it were otherwise, I understand that our relationship is beyond repair

Turns these rings of gold to rust
The realization that our love is over has rendered our once-beautiful rings worthless

Plans we've made just yesterday
We had a future together that we were excited about, but it now seems impossible

Sands of time have chipped away
The passage of time has eroded and destroyed those future plans

Now they've crumbed into dust
Our dreams and hopes have disintegrated into nothingness

Rings of gold have turned rust
The physical symbol of our love has become a metaphor for the emotional destruction of our relationship

Love before was clean and pure
Our love was once genuine and untainted

Now no more can I be sure
Unfortunately, your betrayal has left me unable to trust your love again

You will not betray my trust
I desperately hope that you will not break my trust again in the future

Rings of gold have turned to rust
The damage that has been done to our relationship cannot be undone, and the physical symbol of our love has become worthless

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GENE THOMAS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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