Just Because I'm a Woman
Dolly Parton's second solo album, released in 1968.
Dolly Parton’s second solo album, Just Because I’m a Woman, came out on April 15, 1968, under RCA Victor. Bob Ferguson handled production. It reached number 22 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. The album’s sole single, its title track, climbed to number 17 on the Hot Country Singles chart.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Dolly Parton
- Released
- 15 April 1968
- Recorded
- December 11–20, 1967
- Studio
- RCA Studio B (Nashville)
- Genre
- Country
- Length
- 30:28
- Label
- RCA Victor
- Producer
- Bob Ferguson
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | You're Gonna Be Sorry | Dolly Parton | 2:16 |
| 2 | I Wish I Felt This Way at Home | Harlan Howard | 2:29 |
| 3 | False Eyelashes | Demetris Tapp, Bob Tubert | 2:30 |
| 4 | I'll Oilwells Love You | Parton, Bill Owens | 2:16 |
| 5 | The Only Way Out (Is to Walk Over Me) | Neal Merritt | 2:55 |
| 6 | Little Bit Slow to Catch On | Curly Putman | 2:19 |
Side two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bridge | Parton | 2:34 |
| 2 | Love and Learn | Owens | 2:33 |
| 3 | I'm Running Out of Love | Owens | 2:06 |
| 4 | Just Because I'm a Woman | Parton | 3:04 |
| 5 | Baby Sister | Shirl Milete | 2:39 |
| 6 | Try Being Lonely | Charles Trent, George McCormick | 2:42 |
Track listing from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Parton joined The Porter Wagoner Show in September 1967 while still signed to Monument Records.
- Wagoner was instrumental in persuading RCA Victor to sign Parton to a recording contract.
- The album was reissued on CD in 1995 as 2Gether on 1 with Porter Wagoner and Parton's first collaborative studio album, Just Between You and Me.
Content
The title song features a woman admonishing her boyfriend for judging her past sexual encounters while he is guilty of the same behavior, a statement considered daring at the time. Parton wrote it after her husband questioned whether she had been with another man before him. "The Bridge" tells of a woman who falls in love, becomes pregnant, and is abandoned; the song ends abruptly mid-verse as she approaches a bridge, apparently to commit suicide. Parton re-recorded "Just Because I'm a Woman" for the 2003 tribute album Just Because I'm a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton.
Critical reception
Billboard reviewed the album in its April 27, 1968 issue, noting that Parton's performances are packed with sincerity and style, and highlighting songs including "You're Gonna Be Sorry", "False Eyelashes", "Try Being Lonely", and other earthy, realistic tunes. Cashbox described the album as Parton's first RCA solo flight, with well-chosen tracks where she spreads her wings like a veteran, especially on "Try Being Lonely", "You're Gonna Be Sorry", and the title track. Mark Deming of AllMusic gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it one of Parton's best early albums and a superb showcase for her gifts as a singer and songwriter, noting that the four Parton compositions are among the best songs included and that the album still sounds like a winner decades later.
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