We’ve all heard the saying “choose your words wisely,” but Dolly Parton really took them to heart. She’s made an incredible career out of choosing just the right words, piecing them together in just the right way, and setting them to music to become songs that are part of every music lover’s collection. They have found their way into movies and have even had entire movies built around them.
In this special edition of Rare Country’s 5, we pick out the most memorable and significant lines from five of our favorite Dolly Parton hits. We’ll give you the title of the song and maybe a hint here, and then you can watch the video to see if you got the right lyric.
“Why’d You Come in Here Looking Like That”
This sassy single is Dolly’s way of saying that there are some things you just can’t resist, like a sharp-dressed man. Even after he’s proven that he’s not trustworthy, this dapper dude can turn Dolly’s head. What line is it?
“Coat of Many Colors”
You can’t listen to this without a hankie. In just over three minutes, Dolly tells the story of her ever-so-humble childhood and one of the greatest gifts her mother ever gave her. It wasn’t purchased from the store, nor were the materials, but in 21 words, we know all we need to know about the garment, the fabric and the feeling.
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“Jolene”
Dolly, Dolly, Dolly, Dolly — how could you immortalize this scandalous woman who has the beauty to steal a man’s heart? Your man’s heart? When something or someone is so beautiful, their name bears repeating
“9 to 5”
If your job is a grind, then hopefully you also know that it’s a means to an end. Dolly sure knew that and no matter how unchallenging, uninspiring or unfulfilling that job is, she reminds us in one tidy little verse that it is just a job.
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“I Will Always Love You”
There have been so many songs written about love — first love, last love, wrong love, right love, free love, unrequited love. But in this Dolly Parton classic, she rolls all the loves into one fantastic line that lingers on the heart like a tattoo. One line.
Did your favorite line show up in Rare Country’s 5 of Dolly Parton lyrics? She’s got so many great songs and every one has its own lyrical identity, it’s hard to narrow them down.