Belle Across The Pond: Life Lesson’s From Dolly
I fell in love with Dolly Parton somewhere around the age of six, back in the age of LPs and stereo record players. My mum would play Dolly, singing along, while ironing, cooking and hoovering. To me, Dolly’s voice was the sweetest sound. Her smile on the album covers the widest I’d ever seen, so pretty, so happy and so full of life and promise.
Much later, I had an awesome female boss who had 9 – 5 as her ringtone. She loved Dolly as much as I did. I will never forget her saying to me: “Jackie, how much nicer would this laptop be if it was encrusted with rhinestones? What couldn’t be made better with rhinestones?”
This weekend we went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, inclusive of a day at Dollywood. As I found myself singing Love is Like a Butterfly to my 7-year old daughter, I had a Dolly epiphany. Dolly Parton is a girl’s girl, despite certain cues to the contrary and I think there’s something about Girl Power we can all learn from her. Here are 5 such things delivered through the medium of 5 of her songs.
- Jolene
This is a song about a temptress with beauty beyond compare, flaming locks of auburn hair and eyes of emerald green. Dolly begged her not to take her man. Haven’t we all had a Jolene? Someone we think is prettier than us, sassier, capable of crushing our dreams because of her genetic gifts (and not just because of a boy)? When I hear Dolly singing to Jolene, I think DOLLY! NO! You’re Dolly! If some bloke wants the flaming hair over your sweet heart, LET HIM GO! Send him to Jolene in a box with a bow. He ain’t no man that deserves you.
This I believe is what Dolly wants us to tell ourselves everyday.
- Coat of Many Colours
Dolly Parton grew up in a one-room cabin in the Tennessee Mountains. OK so far? It worked for Heidi and her grandpa. But hey, what if you were to know that she was the fourth child… Of 12! This song is about a coat made from rags due to poverty. It’s about love in every stitch. It’s about being picked on and standing up for yourself because you understand the one thing that matters and that’s love. I played this song to my 7-year old daughter when we got back from Dollywood. I cried as I watched her face while she listened. I hoped beyond all hope she understands, even though her jacket is from Gap and she sleeps in a room of her own, that the best message I can ever give her is exactly the same as this.
- I Will Always Love You
The backstory to this song is awesome. Not only was it released several times but Elvis Presley wanted to record it and as such, take the publishing rights. Dolly refused because her heart told her so. She is famed for then claiming to be able to afford to buy Graceland because of the royalties from Whitney Houston’s version. Dumb blonde? I think not. But what a terribly sad song, what a heartbreaking idea, letting someone go that you are going to love forever because you’re “not what they need”. That’s you Ed Earl (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas), that’s you Frank Farmer (The Bodyguard) and that was indeed you Porter Wagoner, Dolly’s business partner in 1973 for whom it was originally written.
But this is Dolly all over. Kindness, empathy, I’m doing this for you. Go forth, be fabulous and always be loved.
- 9-5
When my aforementioned boss’s phone rang, which was many times a day, I heard the opening bars of this song. I smiled every time. This was this lady putting rhinestones on our working days and making them better. We lived the 9 to 5 everyday, except it was 7.30am till 7pm and whenever they used our minds, we made sure we got the credit.
Back in 1980 Dolly said it. Us gals have been fighting for the credit ever since.
- Hard Candy Christmas
This song is from the film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. It comes up when the “ladies” are being evicted from the Chicken Ranch and are bidding farewell to Miss Mona (Dolly). For this to make sense you need to watch it. (Watch it!). The lyrics to the chorus of this song are: “I’ll be fine and dandy, lord its like a hard candy Christmas. I’m barely getting through tomorrow but still I won’t let sorrow bring me way down.” In times of trouble, when I think I can barely get through tomorrow, I think of this song.
Dolly, I promise I will try to never let sorry bring me way down. I will try to never fear the Jolene. I will put love into everything I give my daughter. I will take the credit I’m due and when things look bad, I will cover them in metaphorical rhinestones.
And I will always love you.
