About The Song
Released on July 28, 2009, as a non-album single featuring the cast of 9 to 5: The Musical, “Change It” arrived alongside the original Broadway cast recording on Dolly Records. The full cast album had dropped digitally two weeks earlier on July 14, with physical copies following on the same date as the single. Written and produced by Dolly Parton, with Stephen Oremus serving as conductor and co-producer, the track ran just over two minutes and captured the energetic, ensemble-driven spirit of the show. Recorded at Legacy Recording Studios in New York City, it formed part of Parton’s complete score for the musical adaptation of the 1980 film in which she had starred.
By 2009 Parton had returned to the story that helped define her film career. The Broadway production, with book by Patricia Resnick and music and lyrics entirely by Parton, opened at the Marquis Theatre on April 30 after tryouts in Los Angeles. It reunited her creatively with the tale of three working women fighting workplace harassment and inequality under a tyrannical boss. Although Parton did not perform in the cast, she took an active role as executive producer of the recording and wrote every song, including this upbeat call to action that fit the show’s themes of empowerment and collective change.
The song grew out of Parton’s long-standing commitment to the material. She had composed the score over several years, drawing from the film’s spirit while expanding it into full musical numbers. Sessions for the cast recording brought together the Broadway company, with Allison Janney, Megan Hilty, and Stephanie J. Block leading the principal female roles. Parton’s production kept the arrangement lively and theatrical, blending pop-country energy with Broadway orchestration to make the message accessible both onstage and on record.
While the single did not enter major Billboard charts, the accompanying music video gained quick traction. It debuted at number one on CMT’s Pure Country digital countdown and helped promote the show to a wider television audience. The cast album itself reached number three on the Billboard Top Cast Albums chart, spent eight weeks there, and also appeared on the Independent Albums and Billboard 200 lists, reflecting steady interest in the production during its Broadway run.
In the lyrics the three lead characters—Doralee, Judy, and Violet—urge anyone feeling trapped or discouraged to take control. Verses address problems that chain someone down or build walls that need to fall, repeating the direct command to “change it” rather than wait for things to improve on their own. The chorus builds into a group affirmation that a better day is possible if you claim it, turning personal frustration into shared determination with lines about shining your light and getting your goals in line.
The message aligned perfectly with the musical’s workplace satire and feminist undertones. Delivered as an ensemble piece with traded lines and full-company harmonies, it became one of the show’s more memorable anthems of resilience. Parton’s involvement as both writer and producer gave the number an authentic connection to the original film while updating it for a new generation of theatergoers and listeners.
Decades after the 1980 movie, “Change It” illustrated Parton’s continued ability to revisit her most iconic stories with fresh creative energy. It stood as a late-career example of how she could translate film success into stage and recording projects, using straightforward, motivational songwriting to remind audiences that real change begins with the decision to act. The track later appeared on compilations tied to the musical and remained a highlight for fans drawn to its positive, action-oriented spirit.
Video
Lyric
Someday when I’m over you
And when I think I’m able to
Well, I might try to be
Your friend again
But your restless heart
And rovin’ eyes
My jealousy, these
Endless fights
I’ve got to get out of your life
Or I will never mend
I guess I’ll die a bit each day
But I’m always dying anyway
And I don’t have the heart to stay
And I can’t take the pain
I know we’ve tried to no avail
Our heaven now has turned to hell
The same old hurt we know so well
And something’s got to change
We both know it’s got to end
The passion’s gone it’s just pretend
And one of us has got to make the move
We might as well just give it up
We’ve lost respect and there’s no trust
And without this, there’s no real love
It’s just some sad excuse
I guess I’ll die a bit each day
But I’m always dying anyway
And there’s nothing left but walk away
Ain’t this a crying shame
A change of pace
A change of heart
A change of place
A place to start
And we’ll be better off apart
Our only chance is change
And we never will
But something has to change
But someday when I’m over you
And when I think I’m able to
Then I will try to be your friend again
But I don’t want to see your face ’til then
Change
I need a change, a change
We need a change