I Will Always Love You: My Tribute to Dolly Parton

Hearing the news of Dolly Parton’s (1946- 2026) death hit me differently. The day after she died, I woke up from a dream of her dying (happened in real life) and woke up completely devastated. It was a super different eerie feeling I never had, waking up from a dream like that. Even after hearing the news. 

Not that I was all that obsessed with her, but in the summer of 2025 I had finally decided to go into her catalog and listen to her music, and boy did she have a voice and vibe like no other. For me, when I like an artist, I like to connect not just to their music, but the person they are/were. 

Dolly was one of a kind. I really felt like I needed to write this not only as a music lover, but as a human being. As a music lover, it’s a terrible loss for the industry, but as a human being, we lost a massive leader of someone who always gave more to everyone around them than themselves and just loved their job, someone who was true. Genuine. 

Significant songs with meaning  

With this article, I wanted to go over a few of Dolly’s songs and what they mean to me as a listener. As this is not an overview of her career/life, but a personal article. 

1. Here You Come Again (Here You Come Again)- This song was released in 1977, and one of the singles from the album. This song to me is about  an old lover who keeps coming back. As a listener, it is relatable and it is a really chill song you can play over and over again. There is something about her voice that I keep coming back to, sort of like the meaning of the song. She was so emotionally into her music that I as the listener felt like I knew her. 

2. Jolene (Jolene)- This song has a personal meaning to it, not just because of Dolly, but the first time I ever saw Kesha live—who is in fact Dolly’s goddaughter and Kesha has a song with her since her mom Pebe used to write for her—she did a rendition of Jolene and it shook my soul (in a good way). What I also like about this tune is that you can take anything you want from it. It is not just about one thing, it is about many things, if you really look into it, and I really love songs with that, I found her so clever that way. 

3. The Bargain Store (The Bargain Store)- What I love about this song is that Dolly compares her love for someone, or what they will be getting in a relationship with her to a bargain store. What this means is that she is going to give all that she has to the relationship but will not let someone put her on the shelf, metaphorically. I love songs with metaphors, as I find they make them more interesting. 

4. 9 to 5 (9 to 5 and Odd Jobs)- As one of Dolly’s most popular songs, and also a movie she has starred in, I had to add it to this list. What stands out about this song to me is the tapping in the song is Dolly tapping her acrylic nails together, This was also one of the first songs of hers I heard and fell in love with. 

5. House of the Rising Sun (9 to 5 and Odd Jobs)- Once I heard this song, it was ultimately going to be my favorite song by Dolly. When you listen to the beginning of the song, the bass kicks in and it sounds super eerie, which I really love. It reminds me of the song by the Alan Parsons Project named Sirius. 

Some final words on Dolly 

While writing this article, I felt really connected to the artist Dolly was as an artist. She really was different and she could encapsulate so many emotions in one song. She was a brilliant person and artist. May she rest in peace and her music carry out her legacy forever.