D-I-V-O-R-C-E, a song written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman, was recorded by Tammy Wynette for the Epic label, was recorded on March 22, 1968, at Columbia Recording Studio, 804 16th Ave. South, Nashville, TN, with the production of Bill Sherrill, the song was released on April 18, 1968, on June 29, 1968, reached # 1 on the US Hot Country Songs charts, for three consecutive weeks, and remaining a total of 17 weeks on the charts. On the Canadian RPM Country Tracks charts, he would also reach # 1 on June 29, 1968, for three consecutive weeks. It would be the fourth number one of Tammy’s career.

The song was included in Tammy’s fourth studio album, DIVORCE (Epic 1968), the album was released on July 8, 1968, and on September 2, 1968, reached # 1 on the US Top Country charts Albums, for two weeks in a row, and remaining a total of 36 weeks on the charts.

About the song:

“D-I-V-O-R-C-E” is a confessional piece about the breakup of a marriage written from the perspective of a woman. Wynette spells words like “C-U-S-T-O-D-Y” and “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” in an attempt to hide this adult reality from her four-year-old son. It would seem, from the line “I love you both, and it will be pure HE double L for me” that she is not the one who wants to leave.

Wynette, mother of three children and veteran of two broken marriages in 1968 (that same year had an annulment) had the authentic life experience to transmit the letters of Braddock and Putman with wisdom and sincerity, after marrying at age 17 and mother of three children (and divorced) three years later. His ability to relate to this song on a fundamental level continued until his fifth marriage to singer and songwriter George Richey, who wrote some of Wynette’s successes in the 1970s, including the 15th success of Wynette’s No. 1 country, “Til I Can Make It on My Own” (1976). Without a doubt one of the best songs of The First Lady of Country Music.

Some versions:

Arlene Harden & Robbie Harden 1968
Conway Twitty 1968 (Decca)
Kitty Wells 1968 (Decca)
Dottie West 1968 (RCA)
Liz Anderson 1969 (RCA)
Dolly Parton 1969 (RCA)
Wanda Jackson 1969 (Capitol)
Jean Sheppard 1969 (Capitol)
Georgette Jones 2013 (Heart of Texas Records)

Tammy Wynette – D-I-V-O-R-C-E lyrics

Our little boy is four years old and quite a little man
So we spell out the words we don’t want him to understand
Like T-O-Y or maybe S-U-R P-R-I-S-E
But the words we’re hiding from him now
Tear the heart right out of me.

Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E; becomes final today
Me and little J-O-E will be goin’ away
I love you both and this will be pure H-E double L for me
Oh, I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

Watch him smile, he thinks it Christmas
Or his 5th Birthday
And he thinks C-U-S-T-O-D-Y spells fun or play
I spell out all the hurtin’ words
And turn my head when I speak
‘Cause I can’t spell away this hurt
That’s drippin’ down my cheek.

Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E; becomes final today
Me and little J-O-E will be goin’ away
I love you both and this will be pure H-E double L for me
Oh, I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E.