Background and recording[edit]

Dolly Parton and her uncle Bill Owens were signed to Combine Publishing House and to Monument Records in 1965, before Parton had turned 20.^[2] "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" was one of the songs they wrote during their frequent trips between Nashville and their home in East Tennessee. They recorded a demo of the song with Owens singing lead and Parton singing the harmony, which they sent to Bill Phillips, a recording artist with Decca Records who had had a few charting singles at that time. Phillips agreed to record the song, and said "Whoever that girl is singing the harmony, I want her on this record."^[3] The song received a 1966 Country Music award from BMI.^[4]


Although Parton's harmony was uncredited, it generated widespread interest in her singing and songwriting among country radio listeners.^[5] Monument Records owner Fred Foster was marketing Parton as a pop act, concerned that her voice was too high for country music. After the success of "Put It Off Until Tomorrow", Foster was convinced that Parton could succeed in country music, and her first country single, "Dumb Blonde", was released the following year,^[6] peaking at number 24 on the Billboard country chart.^[7]


Parton has recorded the song several times, first on her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, released in 1967 on Monument Records. She also recorded a version with Porter Wagoner for their first album as a duo, Just Between You and Me, released in 1968. A duet with Kris Kristofferson was included on the 1982 compilation album The Winning Hand. "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" was also included on Honky Tonk Angels, a 1993 collaborative album with Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynette.