3 Genius Songwriting Tricks Dolly Parton Uses Over and Over

Even legends like Dolly Parton have “hacks” they use daily to maintain their success. Here are some of Dolly Parton’s tricks for writing good songs, some of which she used to pen some of her biggest hits.

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She Incorporates “Wee Hour Wisdom”

On The Queen Latifah Show, Parton talked about the songwriting hack she uses in her days to get the inspiration flowing.

“I don’t require a lot of sleep, and everybody kind of knows that about me,” Parton explained. “So I write in the wee hours of the morning, my best times, but I can write if I have to. But my favorite time is to get up when everything is quiet, and I feel like I’ve kind of got a direct channel, and I say, ‘Well, give me some stuff, Lord. Send it on down here.’”

From there, Dolly explained that she calls that time of the day “Wee Hour Wisdom.”

She Writes Everything Down

Half the battle of songwriting, according to Parton, is remembering those great ideas that come to you. That’s why she writes everything down or always has a tape recorder nearby.

“I always try to keep a tape recorder near,” she explained to Howard Stern. “‘Cause if I get a melody, that’s the same as like, words. If you don’t write it down, you’re gonna forget it. You’ll think you’ll remember it, but you won’t.”

“I think all songwriters do that, serious songwriters. We’ll write on a tablecloth, we’ll write on a napkin.” Dolly continued, “And I’ll use a Maybelline pencil, anything I can get my hands on, ’cause I know if I don’t do it right then, I will forget it and then I’ll wanna kill myself later to think ‘What was that great idea, I know it was great.’”

She Takes Inspiration from Her Own Life

Out of all legendary performers, Dolly is perhaps one of the most notorious for taking inspiration from her own life in her songs. It’s not like she’s lacking in that department, either. When she was a little girl, Parton grew up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, in a family of 12 brothers and sisters. She often talks about how formative those years were for her, especially now that she’s a big star.

“I think my childhood made me everything I am today,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “I’ve never been ashamed of my people, no matter how poor and dirty we might’ve been. You know, I’ve always loved being from where I’m from and having the folks that I have.”

A few of the most notable songs that are inspired by her upbringing are “Coat Of Many Colors” and “My Tennessee Mountain Home”. She’s also used real-life stories to inspire songs like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You”.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for ACM