Dolly Parton has such an impressive catalog of songs, that it would be nearly impossible for her to pick just one that she loves the most, however there are a select few that she revealed will always be extra special to her and her legacy.
While sitting down with The Guardian, the country music icon was asked which tunes she’s most proud of. Her response was that she’s holds a deep pride for “all of them,” but proceeded to dig into three in particular that come to mind because of their powerful messages and personal narratives.
“I think the one that’s most personal to me is the lil’ ‘Coat of Many Colors,’ because it talks about my mom, my parents, and kind of gives you an insight. It also covers bullying, acceptance and all that,” she shared. “Of course, the one that’s most recorded is ‘Jolene.’ That seems to be the favorite – do you know that song has been recorded, somebody told me, 450 times in the last 52 years? I’m so proud of it.”
The final song Parton chose to highlight was “I Will Always Love You,” which she says she is also very proud of and claims it to be “one of the great love songs.” This heartfelt tune celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year. It was unveiled in 1974, as the second single from Parton’s thirteenth solo studio album, Jolene, and became a career-defining smash hit after Whitney Houston released a cover in 1992.
While there have been rumors that the country music icon wrote “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene” on the same day, she admitted that she’s not sure if that’s entirely accurate. However, if it wasn’t the exactly same day, it’s likely that it wasn’t too far off as she revealed that they were discovered on the same cassette.
As for “Coat of Many Colors,” Parton’s recording of the signature song was released in 1971 as the title track of her eighth studio album and climbed to the No. 4 spot on Billboard’s U.S. Country chart. It offers listeners an autobiographical story of her upbringing in poverty and the coat that her mom sewed her out of various fabrics. The Tennessee native was proud of the colorful coat but found herself bullied by her classmates for dressing in scraps.
Throughout her career, the singer/songwriter has never shied away from her roots, and that’s clear in many of her songs and various projects. As she shared in a recent statement, “The threads of my life are woven together through my songs.”
Fans will get the chance to learn more about the stories behind her life and some of her biggest hits to date with Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony. The world premiere of the innovative multimedia symphonic experience will take place on March 20, 2025 with the Nashville Symphony and will then continue with stops across the U.S. Attendees will get to see Dolly come to life on screen as she leads the visual-musical journey.
Dates for each symphony can be found at www.dollysymphony.com.
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