Better Day cover art

  Studio Album · No. 35

Better Day Songwriting Credits by Dolly Parton

2011 Dolly Records 12 tracks 42 min

Produced by Dolly Parton, Kent Wells

Dolly Records Country
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 12 of 12 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Dolly Parton carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
12 trackswritten by Dolly Parton 0 tracksoutside writers
Dolly Parton's roles on this album

Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

12
Tracks
2
Lyricists
2
Producers
17,500 copies in its first US week
Worldwide Copies Sold
2011
Released
Data Insight

Better Day is one of the most self-contained writing efforts of Dolly Parton's late career, with her name on all twelve tracks. She wrote eleven of them entirely on her own and shares credit on only "Country Is as Country Does," co-written with Mac Davis, while co-producer Kent Wells joins her pen on "Holding Everything." Parton conceived the record as a deliberately upbeat, encouraging set, and titles such as "Better Day," "Shine Like the Sun," and "In the Meantime" carry that optimism through the whole album. Co-produced with Wells, it pairs her hopeful songwriting with a polished modern country sound and serves as the studio companion to her Better Day World Tour.

Released June 28, 2011 through Dolly Records and Warner Music Nashville, Better Day was Parton's forty-third solo studio album and her first all-original album since Hungry Again, featuring twelve new compositions. The album was produced by Parton and Kent Wells and recorded at Blackbird Studio, Kent Wells Production, and Sound Kitchen in Nashville and Franklin, Tennessee. Four tracks were originally written for the Broadway adaptation of Parton's 1980 film 9 to 5, while 'Country Is as Country Does' was co-written with Mac Davis, and the album's overarching theme of uplift during difficult times is reinforced by steel guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and acoustic guitar in classic country arrangements. It peaked at number 9 on the UK Albums Chart (Parton's highest-charting UK studio album at the time), earned a Metacritic score of 72/100, and received an A- from Entertainment Weekly for its brilliant vocal performances.

Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
In the Meantime
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
2
Just Leaving
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
3
Somebody's Missing You
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
4
Together You and I #67
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
5
Country Is as Country Does
Dolly PartonMac Davis Dolly PartonMac Davis Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
6
Holding Everything
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
7
The Sacrifice
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
8
I Just Might
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
9
Better Day
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
10
Shine Like the Sun
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
11
Get Out and Stay Out
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
12
Let Love Grow
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 3 contributors

DP
Dolly Parton
Writer · Producer · Vocals
On this album12 written
MD
Mac Davis
Writer
On this album1 written
KW
Kent Wells
Producer
On this album12 produced

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Heartbreaker
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Great Balls of Fire
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1980 0%
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1983 60%
Burlap & Satin
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1984 0%
The Great Pretender
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1985 40%
Real Love
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1987 20%
Rainbow
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10 tracks
1989 40%
White Limozeen
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1991 73%
Eagle When She Flies
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1993 75%
Slow Dancing with the Moon
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1995 100%
Something Special
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1996 0%
Treasures
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1999 31%
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2001 50%
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Frequently Asked Questions Better Day

When was Dolly Parton's Better Day released and what label put it out?
Better Day was released on June 28, 2011, on Dolly Parton's own Dolly Records (distributed through Warner Music Nashville). It reached number 11 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 51 on the Billboard 200, and topped the UK Country Albums chart.
Who produced Better Day?
Better Day was produced by Dolly Parton and Kent Wells, her longtime collaborator and bandleader. It was recorded at Nashville-area studios including Blackbird Studio and the Sound Kitchen in Franklin, Tennessee.
Did Dolly Parton write the songs on Better Day?
Yes. Dolly Parton wrote all twelve songs on Better Day. Eleven were written entirely on her own, and only "Country Is as Country Does" was a co-write, shared with Mac Davis, making it one of her most personally authored albums of the 2010s.
What was the first single from Better Day?
The lead single was "Together You and I," released on May 23, 2011. Written by Parton, it reached number 67 on the UK Singles Chart and was promoted heavily on television talk shows ahead of the album's release.
Who wrote "Country Is as Country Does" on Better Day?
"Country Is as Country Does" was co-written by Dolly Parton and Mac Davis. It is the only song on Better Day that Parton did not write entirely on her own, and it appears as the fifth track on the album.
What is the song "The Sacrifice" on Better Day about?
"The Sacrifice," written by Dolly Parton, reflects on the hard work and personal trade-offs behind a life in music and was issued as the album's second single in October 2011. Parton has often tied the song to her own career and the effort required to succeed.
Is Better Day an upbeat or optimistic album?
Yes. Parton intentionally designed Better Day as an encouraging, optimistic record meant to lift listeners' spirits, and that theme runs through songs such as "Better Day," "Shine Like the Sun," and "In the Meantime." It served as the studio companion to her Better Day World Tour.
Did Better Day chart in the United Kingdom?
Yes. Better Day reached number 9 on the UK Albums Chart and number 1 on the UK Country Albums chart, and it was later certified Silver by the BPI for sales of 60,000 units. The album also topped the Australian Country Albums chart.

Sources

Wikipedia: Better Day (album) Wikipedia: Together You and I Discogs: Dolly Parton - Better Day (2011) Official Charts: Dolly Parton MusicBrainz release group: Better Day Cover Art Archive: Better Day Cover Art Archive: Better Day by Dolly Parton