ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
As many probably read last week, the music world lost one of the greats in Dolly Parton. Born in Tennessee and ultimately taking on a nearly six-decade career, I feel like she was one of the rare artists who truly fully pulled herself up by her bootstraps and “spoke her success into existence,” as the saying goes. And not only was she a success in the music world, she took on SEVERAL philanthropic causes particularly when it came to literacy for children and young people, making her one of the rare people who walked the walk AND talked the talk.
Her loss will truly make a big hole in the music world, and I recently got to thinking about some of my favorite songs from her, so I decided to share a handful that have been particularly meaningful to me throughout the years I’ve been listening to her. I know this column won’t even come close to scratching even part of the surface of Parton’s discography, so let me know what some of your favorites are!
“I Will Always Love You”
As much as people adore Whitney Houston’s version (me among them), a lot of people might be surprised to learn this was originally written by Parton. Parton’s version is slow and super sweet and has never failed to almost reduce me to tears since the first time I heard it. Another fun fact about this song is Parton invested the royalties she received from this song into helping revitalizing a predominantly Black neighborhood in honor of the success of Houston’s version. Just another case of one song helping truly change the world in more ways than one.
“Islands in the Stream”
This song is one of many duets Parton recorded with Kenny Rogers, and while I can’t fully remember the first time I heard this song, I love it because it’s slow and sweet and for some reason, I never fail to have a grin on my face after hearing it. I’ve cranked it up when I’ve heard it on the radio many, many times, and if you’re looking for another great rendition, Sabrina Carpenter and Kermit the Frog did one for the recent “The Muppet Show” special for Disney+. Overall, this is another simply joyful song in Parton’s repertoire.
“Jolene”
This is one of Parton’s darker songs about a woman wanting to keep her man and allegedly inspired by an interaction she witnessed between her husband and an employee at a business they were visiting. Multiple memes have been created with this song in mind, and there have been many covers created throughout the years, which is a testament to its longevity. One of my favorite versions is one Parton did with Pentatonix, which is absolutely breathtaking.
“Purple Rain”
Parton actually covered this Prince hit for her 2023 “Rockstar” album, and it absolutely stunned me the first time I heard it. Parton puts so much passion and heart into this cover, and I have no doubt Prince himself would have approved had he been around. It’s one of those songs that will definitely make you say “TAKE ME TO CHURCH” while listening to it, and it’s an absolute blast.
“9 to 5”
The 1980s vibe is SO strong with this song, and whenever I hear it on the radio, it’s almost an unwritten/unspoken rule for me to crank up the volume and belt along. Everyone who’s ever been in the workforce has felt the same way as the “narrator” of this song, and I have a feeling that won’t change anytime in the future. In fact the song is so popular, the Royal Guard band in England released a video of them playing the song in front of Buckingham Palace the day after Parton’s passing – do you know how much of an impact a song has to have for another country’s band to play it after you pass? Pretty big.
“I Hate Myself for Loving You”
This is another cover from Parton’s “Rockstar” album that she recorded along with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and I can tell she just had an absolute blast doing this song. It’s a great song to begin with that didn’t necessarily NEED Parton, but she definitely added her own awesome twist to this cover I ended up absolutely loving.
