Back in February, we reported that Kelly Clarkson and Dolly Parton would be teaming up for a new version of Dolly’s classic “9 to 5,” and they’ve just released it. It’s always dangerous to mess with a classic, but give them credit, they definitely put a new spin on the song. The original was very upbeat. The new one is slower and focuses on the lyrics. The song was released today because it is National Women’s Equality Day, which was first designated by Congressional resolution on Aug. 26, 1973.
The lyrics include: “Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living/Barely getting by, it’s all taking and no giving/They just use your mind, and they never give you credit/It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it.”
The original version, of course, was from the 1980 comedy 9 to 5, which starred Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. They played three working women who get even with their company’s “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” boss. The new version, however, was recorded for a documentary. Still Working 9 to 5 about the making of 9 to 5. But, according to Rolling Stone, it also spotlights the challenges faced by women in the workplace. Rolling Stone notes that the comedy “had a surprising yet significant impact in advancing” the issue.
Still Working 9 to 5 will be released September 16. It features new interviews with Parton and co-stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, as well as Oscar winner Rita Moreno, who co-starred in 9 to 5’s short-lived TV spin-off. Allison Janney, who got a Tony nomination for her role in the 2009 stage musical version is also in the documentary, as is Dabney Coleman, who played Franklin Hart, the “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” of a boss from the film. Listen to the new version, and the original, below.