From “Jolene” to “I Will Always Love You” to “Coat of Many Colors,” Dolly Parton has penned countless songs that came to define her decades-long musical legacy. But according to the de facto Queen of Appalachia herself, only one song in her vast discography manages to describe her on a spiritual, professional, and personal level, capturing her essence in a two-word title.
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Interestingly, the song is far from being Parton’s best-selling single. But sometimes, crafting a song that speaks to the heart is more fulfilling as an artist than skyrocketing to the top of the charts.
Dolly Parton Says This Song Describes Her Perfectly
Over the course of her decades-long career, Dolly Parton has been a lot of things: a singer, songwriter, guitarist, television personality, brand ambassador, theme park owner, youth reading program founder, wife, godmother, friend, to name a few. But to Parton, the one title or occupation she would give herself is that of a seeker. Speaking to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the country icon said, “I have always been a seeker in every way.”
“My spiritual life, my professional life, my personal life,” she continued. “I’m always looking. I’m always trying to find another mountain to climb. I remember when I wrote “The Seeker,” I had been out—I was young—and I’d been out on the road with Porter [Wagoner] and them. Just seeing how crazy and wild the world is. And if you don’t keep yourself self-contained, it’s easy to fall into places, like a lot of people do with drugs and alcohol or any number of things. I really lean heavy on my faith.”
Parton said she was contemplating how she had drifted from her spiritual roots and grappling with the guilt that came with that realization. So, sitting in the home she shared with her husband, Carl Dean, in Antioch, Tennessee, Parton wrote the lyrics to “The Seeker” as a conversation between herself and God.
I am a seeker, a poor, sinful creature. There is no weaker than I am. I am a seeker, and you are a teacher. You are a reacher, so reach down. Reach out and lead me, guide me and keep me in the shelter of your car each day.
The Track Just Barely Missed The Top Of The Charts
Dolly Parton released her autobiographical gospel song, “The Seeker,” as the lead single off her 1975 record, Dolly. The track peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. It managed to hit the No. 1 spot on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. The man responsible for Parton landing her first big break on television, Porter Wagoner, helped produce the track.
Although not necessarily the first song most of us would think of when considering Parton’s expansive discography (this writer’s go-to is “9 to 5,” for what it’s worth), the track clearly resonated with Parton in a major way. Her love and connection to “The Seeker” just goes to show that sometimes, the art that resonates with its creator the most isn’t what makes it to the top of the charts, and that’s okay.
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