In 1976, Dean wrote and recorded a tribute to mothers. Throughout the piece, a young man reflects on the many roles his mother played through the years: nurse, mediator, protector, doctor, cook, entertainer, and the rock by which the family held together. By the end of the song, he admits that while payment for services rendered through the years is long overdue, he knows that any such request to make a payment will be marked "paid in full" ... "For just one kiss and four little words....Mom, I love you!'" "I.O.U." was released in April 1976, shortly before Mother's Day. The song became an unexpected success and peaked at No. 9 on the Hot Country Singles chart by the end of May. The song also crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100 (where Dean had enjoyed crossover success throughout the early- to mid-1960s), and eventually peaked at No. 35.