Written by Parton and Bob G. Dean, "Ode to Olivia" is a response to the criticism Australian singer Olivia Newton-John was receiving at the time by some artists of the American country music community for allegedly not being a "true" country singer.

Angered for a recognition of this level being given for a non-American singer who wasn't considered country by many purists, a number of members of Nashville music fraternity protested over her winning.

Parton then composed and released "Ode to Olivia" because she was "embarrassed for all my country cousins and sisters here in town [Nashville].

I never will forget I played that song ["Ode to Olivia"] in the studio for [my sister] Dolly and she said, 'Oh Lord, Stella, don't let Porter hear that'.

[1][2] To date, Newton-John remains the only non-American singer to win a CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year.

[6][7] Nevertheless, after the latter found success on country radios, the sequence was switched for the Australian single release, with "Ode to Olivia" now as the B-side.

[8] In the United Kingdom the song wasn't released in any single, being replaced as the B-side by "Truck Driving Mother".