About This Quiz
She's been called "The Smoky Mountain Songbird" and "The Backwoods Barbie," but anything short of "Country Music Queen" diminishes the impact this singer and songwriter who's been at it since 1967 has had on the industry. Her first No. 1 single, "Joshua," hit the airwaves in 1970, but one of her most popular tunes, "Jolene," didn't come along until three years later. In the years that followed, she worked hard to cross over into the pop circuit, turning "Here You Come Again" into a hit — on both the country and pop charts.
As the decades wore on, Parton found a place in music, television and the silver screen, which has led to 10 Grammys, two nominations for Academy Awards and a coveted place in the Country Music Hall of Fame, to name just a few accolades. In fact, she is one of only a handful of people to have received award nominations from the "Big Four" — the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Tony Awards and Emmy Awards. Phew! Talk about busy!
But, for Dolly, it always comes back to the music. And, for us, that's exactly what we're looking for! Can you finish these Dolly lyrics? Some are easier than others ("Workin' 9 to 5"); some are a bit trickier ("And I said I'd find a rich man"). Real Dolly fans will nail this quiz, from "Joshua" to "Jolene"! As Dolly once put it, "You'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try." So, what are you waiting for?
In 2004, Rolling Stone named "Jolene" to its list of 500 greatest songs of all time, and it's a monster for sure. The song comes from Parton's album of the same name and earned the singer a Grammy, but not until four decades after its initial release.
"9 to 5," originally written for a comedic film of the same name, grew larger than life. It went on to spawn a theater adaptation of the film and a TV series. Parton got more than a day's worth of work out of this one!
There's no question that Houston's version brought modern acclaim to this tune that dates all the way back to 1973, when Parton originally wrote and released it herself. Houston's version was included in the soundtrack for the 1992 movie "The Bodyguard," in which she also starred.
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"Coat of Many Colors" is considered one of Parton's most iconic tunes and, she has said, one of her personal favorites. A replica of the coat hangs in a museum at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
A Grammy winner for best female country vocal performance, "Here You Come Again" was one of Parton's successful pop crossover hits. The song was originally written with Brenda Lee in mind, but when Lee chose not to record it, Parton snatched it up.
"Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That," released in 1989, brought Parton a No. 1 on the country music charts. It was a part of her album titled "White Limozeen." Not the correct spelling of limousine, of course, but when you're Dolly Parton you can get away with that.
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You'd expect "Joshua" to be about a man, wouldn't you? And, it is, but not in the sense you might expect. It's a story told from the perspective of a young girl who gets to know her curmudgeonly old neighbor.
"The Grass Is Blue" is a song released on an album of the same name. The tune itself is all about opposites: "Rivers flow backwards/ Valleys are high/ Mountains are level/ Truth is a lie/ I'm perfectly fine/ And I don't miss you."
In the song "The Bargain Store," Parton uses the analogy of worn and discarded clothes to describe how women feel after a toxic relationship. She sings, "If you don't mind the fact that all the merchandise is used/ But with a little mending it could be as good as new."
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"Just Because I'm a Woman" was perhaps a song before its time. Released in 1968, it describes a man judging a woman for her behavior in previous relationships, even though he has the same skeletons in his closet. You go, Dolly!
In "My Tennessee Mountain Home," Parton recounts memories from her childhood, like "Sittin' on the front porch on a summer afternoon" and "Watch the kids a' playin' with June bugs on a string." The album by the same name was released in 1973.
She could've sung about any flower, but she chose "Yellow Roses." In the tune, she sings that a man asked her out, "Handing me a yellow rose." The song hit No. 1 on the country music charts, her 19th to do so.
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Dolly teamed with Porter Wagoner in a cover of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind" in the late 1960s, a successful collaboration for the pair. It opened the door to many other duets for the two country stars.
The Bee Gees are credited with writing "Islands in the Stream," though Parton and fellow country singer Kenny Rogers performed it as a duet in the early 1980s. The song was met with critical and commercial success.
Both Parton and Emmylou Harris released versions of "To Daddy," a song that Parton wrote about her own parents' relationship struggles. Harris' version climbed to No. 3 on The Billboard Hot Country chart.
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Written by Kenny O'Dell, "Behind Closed Doors" has been performed by many country singers, including Parton. Dolly's version continues, "Then he makes me glad that he's my man/ And no one knows what goes on behind closed doors."
"Before the Next Teardrop Falls" was recorded by Parton in the 1990s. It is featured on her album "Treasures," which includes many of her favorite covers. The song begins, "If she brings you happiness/ Then I wish you both the best."
"Banks of the Ohio" is all about a marriage proposal gone wrong. Recorded by Parton for her "Blue Smoke" album, it is considered a "murder ballad," which — thankfully — is a pretty small niche.
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A song from Parton's career in the mid-1970s, "All I Can Do" describes the singer's reluctance to fall in love: "It's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you/ All I can do to keep from letting it show."
"After the Gold Rush," written by Neil Young, is a song about ... well, what IS it about? Turns out, neither Young nor Parton, who recorded a version with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, had any idea!
Dolly may be known the world over for her blond hair, but in this song she makes it clear: she's no "Dumb Blonde." Of course she's not! She has built an empire, which even includes a theme park!
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Dolly Parton recorded "A Tender Lie" for her album "Little Sparrow." The song details a difficult parting: "As you walk away/ As we say goodbye/ What I wouldn't give/ For a tender lie."
Part of the soundtrack for the movie "Rhinestone," "Tennessee Homesick Blues" was written and recorded by Parton in 1983. In this song, Parton is thinking back on her life in Tennessee while she's in the big city.
Parton recorded this song alongside Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt for the group's "Trios" album. The lyrics to "To Know Him Is to Love Him" were written by Phil Spector, inspired by an inscription on his father's headstone.
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"But You Know I Love You" tells the story of an individual who is sad about living life on the road and loving someone from afar. We're sure Parton and plenty of other musicians understand this all too well!
"Real Love" is another duet recorded by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, their second collaboration to reach the top of the country music charts. Years later, Parton recorded a solo version.
"It's All Wrong, But It's All Right" is one of Dolly's more risqué tunes, in which she essentially places a — ahem — booty call. Hey, men have been singing about it for years; you do you, Dolly!
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"Two Doors Down" is Dolly's take on the aftermath of a breakup. She's in an apartment and can hear a party happening "two doors down," so she sings about it, saying, "But here I am crying my heart out, feeling sorry/ But they're having a party just two doors down."
You've got to go back to 1978 for this Parton tune, "Baby I'm Burnin'." The song also has the lines, "Baby I'm burnin' out of control baby/ I'm burnin' body and soul/ Hot as a pistol that flamin' desire/ Baby I'm burnin' you've got me on fire/ I'm on fire."
In 2002, Parton released "These Old Bones" as part of her "Halos & Horns" album. The first three lines of the song mention the title: "These old bones will tell your story/ These old bones will never lie/ These old bones will tell you surely."
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Years before she released "I'll Always Love You," Parton sang “I’ll Oil Wells Love You," a type of parody song about finding and falling in love with a rich oilman: "He owned a lot of oil wells and his bankroll sure was healthy/ And I knew if I married him I'd suddenly be wealthy."
"Peace Train" is something of a spiritual reflection on a more peaceful world to come: "Now I've been smiling lately/ Thinking about the good things to come/ And I believe it could be/ Something good has begun." The song was written by Cat Stevens, who also released it as a single.
Dolly seems to be admitting an affair in the song "Cologne": "You ask me not to wear cologne/ She'll know you've been with me alone/ And you can't take our secret home/ So you ask me not to wear cologne." Of course, maybe she was singing it for a friend.
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Parents' impact on their children is the subject of "What Will Baby Be," another Dolly recording. In it, she sings, "A young couple marries, already fighting/ Along comes baby, makin' them three/ Trouble's all he hears from the time he's in didies/ Baby don't know just what to believe."
"Shine On" is an uplifting tune from Parton's 1998 album, "Hungry Again." In it, she sings, "The gift of love divine/ God gave us all a special gift/ He meant for it to shine." We love the positivity!