About The Song
Released on June 2, 1980, as the lead single from Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton’s reunion album Porter & Dolly, “Making Plans” marked one of the duo’s final collaborative recordings more than six years after their professional split. Written by Voni Morrison and Johnny Russell, the three-minute-twenty-second track featured “Beneath the Sweet Magnolia Tree” on the B-side. The album itself arrived on August 19 through RCA Victor and was produced by Bob Ferguson, capturing the pair in a relaxed studio setting that recalled their earlier chemistry while reflecting the passage of time since their last joint project.
By 1980 Wagoner and Parton had long since gone their separate ways. Parton had announced her departure from Wagoner’s organization in 1974, a decision that led to legal tensions and her breakthrough solo success with songs such as “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.” Yet the two remained on friendly terms and occasionally reunited for recordings. Porter & Dolly became their first full studio album together since 1974, offering a nostalgic look back at their signature vocal blend without the pressure of ongoing professional commitments.
The song originated as a straightforward country love ballad that had circulated among Nashville writers in the late 1960s. Wagoner and Parton first recorded it during sessions in early 1980, with Ferguson keeping the arrangement acoustic and intimate. Acoustic guitar, steel, and light harmony backing supported their traded verses, allowing Wagoner’s warm baritone and Parton’s bright soprano to carry the message in the conversational style that had defined much of their earlier work.
The single debuted at number seventy-five on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated June 21 and climbed steadily to reach number two, spending a total of twenty weeks on the survey. It became one of their highest-charting duets of the post-split era and helped drive the album to number nine on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The performance showed that audiences still responded warmly to their combined voices even as both artists pursued independent careers.
In the lyrics the couple looks ahead with quiet optimism, discussing marriage, children, and a shared future built on mutual dreams. Verses describe simple plans for a home, a life together, and the everyday joys they hope to share. The chorus repeats the idea that making plans feels right when the right person is by your side, turning everyday conversation into a gentle affirmation of commitment. Delivered without flash or drama, the song unfolds as a warm, unhurried declaration of lasting love.
The release stood out as a graceful coda to one of country music’s most influential duet partnerships. Critics and fans noted how the track captured the easy chemistry that had made their earlier recordings so appealing, while the mature tone reflected the perspective both artists had gained in the years since their split. It later appeared on various compilations and remained a favorite in retrospective discussions of their joint catalog.
Decades afterward “Making Plans” serves as a reminder of the enduring respect between Wagoner and Parton despite their earlier professional differences. It illustrated how a simple, heartfelt country song could reconnect two artists and their audience long after the spotlight had shifted elsewhere, adding one more chapter to the story of a partnership that helped shape modern country music.
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Lyric
You say tomorrow you’re going
It’s so hard for me to believe
I’m making plans for the heartaches
‘Cause you’re making plans to leaveThe tears for me will be falling
Like a tree shedding its leaves
I’m making plans for the tear drops
‘Cause you’re making plans to leaveYou’re making plans to forget me
I’m making plans to miss you
I’m getting ready ti grieve
I’m making plans to be lonesome
‘Cause you’re making plans to leave
I’m making plans to be lonesome
‘Cause you’re making plans to leave