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45 single, Side A. RCA (PB-13883) (1984)
Image credit: boyjohn at 45cat.com
"God Won't Get You" is a single by Dolly Parton. It was released on August 20, 1984, by RCA Records as the second single from the Rhinestone soundtrack album. The song was written by Dolly and produced by Mike Post and Dolly. The single peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Track listing

Side A
  • ​God Won't Get You (Dolly Parton) 4:13
Side B
  • Sweet Lovin' Friends   Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone (Dolly Parton) 3:29

Background

"God Won't Get You" began as a song titled "Where Stallions Run" that Dolly had written for co-star Burt Reynolds to perform in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The song was ultimately not included in the film, so Dolly reworked it into "A Cowboy's Ways" for her 1983 album, ​Burlap & Satin. Dolly recycled the melody for "God Won't Get You" in 1984. She reworked "God Won't Get You" as "Can't Be That Wrong" for her 2016 album, Pure & Simple.

Recording

Both sides of the single were recorded at Smoketree Ranch in Chatsworth, Los Angeles.

Audio

Critical reception

The single was reviewed in the September 1, 1984 issue of Billboard magazine. The review said, "As pretty a country ballad as anyone has done recently, this new Parton original shows why, at her best, no one can touch Dolly."

Cashbox also reviewed the single in their September 1, 1984 issue. It said, "Parton's second release from the soundtrack to Rhinestone is an emotion packed song about the possible rights and wrongs of cheating situations. Her delivery of this tune ranges from gentle yearning to soaring, with a chorus which mixes a string of cheating song titles up against religious standards such as "Rock of Ages" to present the dichotomy."
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Billboard review, September 1, 1984.
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Cashbox review, September 1, 1984.

Commercial performance

"God Won't Get You" debuted at number 70 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated September 15, 1984. It peaked at number 10 on the chart dated December 1, its twelfth week on the chart. The single charted for 20 weeks. It also peaked at number eight in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Rhinestone liner notes. ​The album liner notes do not give credits for individual tracks, so the credits below are for the album as a whole.
Performance
  • Mike Baird – drums
  • Dennis Belfield – bass
  • John Bidasio – steel guitar
  • ​John Coux – guitar
  • Richard Dennison – background vocals
  • Linda Dillard – background vocals
  • David Lindley – fiddle
  • Tommy Morgan – harmonica
  • Larry Muhoberac – piano​
  • Willie Ornelas – drums
  • Dolly Parton – lead vocals
  • Randy Parton – background vocals
  • Herb Pedersen – guitar, banjo, background vocals
  • Pete Robinson – synthesizers
  • Joey Scarbury – background vocals
  • Leland Sklar – bass
  • Sylvester Stallone – lead vocals
  • Ian Underwood – synthesizers
  • ​Steve Watson – guitar
Production
  • Doug Parry – recording
  • Dolly Parton – producer, arrangements
  • Mike Post – producer
  • Ray Sheibley ​– second engineer