"Touch Your Woman" is a song written and originally recorded by American singer-songwriter

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

. It was released on February 14, 1972 as the only single from the album of the same name. It provided a 1972 top-ten

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

single for her. A tranquil, slow-tempo ballad, the song differed from many of Parton's other hits at the time, in that it was neither an upbeat, lilting country number, nor a nostalgic reminiscence of her rural childhood. "Touch Your Woman" reached number 6 on the U.S. country singles charts in March 1972, though a number of country radio stations refused to play it because they found it too sexually suggestive. The song earned Parton a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, at the

15th Annual Grammy Awards The 15th Annual Grammy Awards were held on March 3, 1973, at the Tennessee Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee. The event was the first Grammy ceremony not to be held in either New York City or Los Angeles (the 64th Grammys, staged in Las Vegas in ...

, losing to

Donna Fargo Donna Fargo (born Yvonne Vaughn; November 10, 1945) is an American country singer-songwriter known for a series of Top 10 country hits in the 1970s. These include " The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A." and " Funny Face", both of which were r ...

's " The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A." It has since been included in a number of Parton's compilation albums, including ''

Best of Dolly Parton ''Best of Dolly Parton'' was a 1975 compilation album of Dolly Parton's early 1970s work that has long been regarded by critics as the definitive representation of Parton's most influential period. The album reached # 5 on the U.S. country albu ...

, The RCA Years,'' and '' The Essential Dolly Parton.'' The B-side "Will He Be Waiting?" was re-recorded for Parton's 1999 bluegrass album, "

The Grass Is Blue ''The Grass Is Blue'' is the thirty-seventh solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on October 26, 1999, by Sugar Hill and Blue Eye Records. The album won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album and " Travelin' P ...

." On a list of the 50 best Dolly Parton songs,

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

magazine ranked "Touch Your Woman" at number 27, calling it "refreshing and soulful."

Content

The lyrics speak of a disagreement between lovers, but concludes with the line "all you have to do to make it right is just touch your woman". Parton has described the song as sexy and intimate, but also innocent and pure, adding "We can't let some little upset make us get bitter and calloused. Let our love build and grow."

Cover versions

The song was covered by

Skeeter Davis Skeeter Davis (born Mary Frances Penick; December 30, 1931September 19, 2004) was an American country music singer and songwriter who sang crossover pop music songs including 1962's " The End of the World". She started out as part of the Davis ...

on her 1972 album "Skeeter Sings Dolly." The song was also covered in late 1972 by R&B artist

Margie Joseph Margaret Marie Joseph (born August 19, 1950) is an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. Her greatest success came in the 1970s with a duet with Blue Magic on " What's Come Over Me" and her versions of Paul McCartney's " My Love" and The Supre ...

, and in 2002 by folk singer

Kate Campbell Jamae Kathryn Campbell (born October 31, 1961, in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American folk singer-songwriter. Kate's songwriting follows in the southern literary tradition with an emphasis on a sense of place, race, and religion. Her story-f ...

Chart performance

References

External links

Touch Your Woman lyrics at Dolly Parton On-Line
1972 singles 1971 songs Dolly Parton songs Skeeter Davis songs Songs written by Dolly Parton RCA Records singles Song recordings produced by Bob Ferguson (musician) {{1970s-single-stub