Dolly Parton’s favourite Dolly Parton songs: “I have treasured memories”
Everyone has their own favourite Dolly Parton song. With such a broad discography packed with hits, there’s a track for every situation, every emotion, and every karaoke night. While fans are always eager to debate the best and worst of an artist’s work, what about hearing from the artists themselves? Sure, you might love ‘Islands in the Stream’, but these are Dolly Parton’s own favourite Dolly Parton songs.
Parton’s songwriting power is never to be underestimated. While she may look sweet with her big blonde hair and her sparkly outfits, her mind is one of music’s sharpest. Back in the 1970s, she sat down one day and wrote both ‘Jolene’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’, two of the most iconic and beloved songs in history, pouring out of her in the same 24 hours. That, in a nutshell, is a perfect example of Parton’s prolific artistry and her ability to write hits with ease.
Now with 49 studio albums under her belt, there’s a vast catalogue to consider when selecting a favourite song. For any artist, being asked to choose between their own creations must feel like picking a favourite child—each track has been birthed, nurtured, and carries its own significance. However, when prompted, Parton has named four favourites that each capture a different corner of her remarkable career.
The answer that came first, when asked by Stephen Colbert, seems to be the most certain and definitive pick. “My very favourite song, from a very personal level, is ‘Coat Of Many Colors’,” she said, picking the title track of her 1971 album. It’s a favourite on a few levels, but mostly due to the personal nature of the song being about her mother. “That one, certainly, I love because of my mom. It’s a true story, and I have treasured memories of that,” she added as the song recounts a moment when her mother stitched her together a new coat out of rags.
But it also holds a bigger social message that’s important to her. As the song goes on, the child wearing the coat is bullied and mocked at school for it, again reflecting Parton’s personal experience. Now, schools around her hometown even use this song to teach kids to be kind, so Parton is clearly proud of its legacy there, stating, “It’s kind of a little signature song of mine, and it’s more than just about the coat. It’s about my Mom, it’s about family, it’s about acceptance and tolerance, it even speaks to bullying, kind of how the kids made fun of me at school.”
Her second choice speaks to her own commitment to her artistry. “I like songs that I’ve recorded in albums that a lot of people have never heard,” she said, defending the deep cuts and underrated tracks that don’t get enough love. In particular, she picked out ‘Down From Dover’, a track that radio stations wouldn’t play upon its release in 1970 due to its lyricism about a young, abandoned pregnant woman. But for Parton, it always stood out as one she loved.
Her fourth choice is all about her love of performance. “As far as being a singer-songwriter, all singers love to have a song that you can sing tender, and then you can go big if you want to. You can sing loud or show how much volume you know you have and how much range and all,” she said. To her, the song that does that for her is an obvious favourite as she said, “So I would think that the ‘I Will Always Love You’ song is really good for that.”
Then, for her fourth and final pick, she obviously had to honour a hit. “Of course, ‘Jolene’ is everybody’s favourite,” she said, celebrating the people’s favourite track as she added, “I enjoy singing that one.”
