Maren Morris Realizes Song Bears Resemblance to Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’, Gets Heartwarming Response

Maren Morris has stated to have had a shocking moment of musical déjà vu that involved Dolly Parton's pop classic "9 to 5." In preparing for the release of her 2019 album, Girl, Morris discovered that her song "All My Favorite People" accidentally sounded like Parton's number one single, a realization her mother initially pointed out. "I think that's, like, any songwriter's worst fear is unintentionally being on top of a melody that already exists and, you know, it happens more than you think," Morris admitted during an appearance on the Zach Sang Show.

Concerned about the similarity, Morris reached out to Parton's team before the album's release and offered to credit the country legend. True to her generous reputation, Parton responded, saying she was "all good" and declined any financial compensation. Morris later reflected, "I think when I write with so many different people — and play the song so many times for loved ones before it ever gets into the public — there's always, like, checks and balances."

The track, co-written by Morris, her ex-husband Ryan Hurd, and Mikey Reaves, produced by Busbee, was never released as a single, but grew in poignancy in light of the exchange. The moment was a reality check about the struggles that today's songwriters face when creating new music in an expansive and oftentimes redundant world.

Morris noted that accidental similarities happen more routinely than fans think, especially in an industry where many authors are economically challenged. The occurrence did not affect the relationship of the artists, and in fact, Morris and Parton shared the stage for a 2019 Grammy tribute, more for the love of country music than to endorse either one or the other, a testimony to their love and mutual respect as people in their profession.

Now 79, Dolly Parton is still a true force in the world of country music, a trailblazer for women in country music, as Morris and others have noted.