Dolly Parton gets political in concert: "Blowin In The Wind" and "Imagine"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

About an hour into the show, Parton picked up a guitar that looked like it had lost a fierce battle with a Bedazzler and began to talk in earnest about that old-time activism. "I didn't necessarily agree with all the politics of that time," she said, "but I think a lot of the things they were talking about -- like peace and freedom -- are about as American as apple pie." She then performed the Byrds' "Turn, Turn, Turn." And she wasn't done. Barely pausing for breath, she moved to Dylan, talking about how important it was that he had sung songs that had mattered to the country. She'd recently been listening to his antiwar classic "Blowin' in the Wind," she said, and had thought, "Well this song is about what's going on right now! I've got to record this."

Parton's live cover of "Blowin' in the Wind" should probably have been cringe-inducing, but it wasn't. Stripped down to Parton's powerful pipes and a guitar, it worked. And she definitely enunciated particular verses, especially the questions "How many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry? And how many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died?" Parton, who had perfect silence for the first half of the song, finished it to a massive standing ovation from the New York crowd. And however unlikely the messenger, it was almost impossible to imagine the lyrics being about anything other than a direct message to George W. Bush.

Parton's final protest song was "Imagine," which she prefaced by wishing that John Lennon had lived to see whether we would ever have peace. "I don't know that we ever will have it," she said with a casual laugh, "'cause we seem to like to fight a lot, I guess. But I still think it's something we can hope for and that we should hope for." The cover was much better than it had been in November, and she asked the audience to sing along to the song's final imprecation that "the world will live as one." I had really cheap seats, but I'm pretty sure she flashed a peace sign. Parton, 59, will probably never appear on a "Vote for Change" lineup; she cannot afford to go all Dixie Chicks on her red-state fan base. And her performance Thursday didn't necessarily convince me that she would want to. A longtime interpreter of Scottish folk, bluegrass and mountain music, Parton may just have turned her attention to a more recent genre of grass-roots melody. But it's pretty telling timing, and Parton is a very, very smart woman.

Whatever her politics, she was careful to remind her New York audience that she was still a mountain girl at heart. The granddaughter of a Pentecostal preacher, she happily talked about her faith, and made a point of finishing up the show with her post-9/11 song, "Hello, God." But even that upbeat spiritual fit the mood of her show. Here's how it goes:

This old world has gone to pieces
Can we fix it, is there time?
Hate and violence just increases
We're so selfish, cruel and blind
We fight and kill each other
In your name, defending you
Do you love some more than others?
We're so lost and confused
…
Hello God, we beseech you
In the name of all that’s true
Hello God, please forgive us
For we know not what we do.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2005/08/19/parton/index.html

[tuvor]

1. She introduced rumsfeld on the Grand Ole Opry earlier this year.

She seemed pretty happy to present him to the cheering crowd, too.

Anyone know what her politics really are?

[scarletlib]

9. not real sure about her politics but she is a very decent,

hardworking woman. She grew up dirt poor in the mountains of east Tennessee. Her song, Coat of Many Colors, about a coat made of rags for a little girl going to school is autobiographical. It was her coat made by her mother.

She took over Dollywood (Renamed for her) from a theme park going out of business in the Gatlinburg Tn Area. She kept a lot of people up there from losing their jobs. She has opened the park up to a lot of local craftspeople and musicians to help them make a living and still keep living in the area they love.

I lived in Nashville for many years and never heard any negative things about her.

I think she is a decent woman, probably leaning to the liberal side but as a true artist she has been more involved with her work than what is happening in the world.

I don't think she has ever forgotten her roots or the people she grew up with and among. She knows what it is to be poor, to see people work long hard hours and still just barely make it.

[Ishoutandscream2]

36. Coat of many Colors always brings tears to my eyes

I really don't think Dolly has forgotten her roots. I'm not really aware of her political leanings, but really I don't care. I'll always like her - Republican or Democrat (or other).

[Arugula Latte]

43. My father met her a few times and said she was the NICEST person

you'd ever want to meet.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

2. Dolly Parton owns the rights to all of her songs (many sung by others)

She is mega-rich from the royalties on writing more than the wealth obtained from singing.

I'm glad she made those statements. Good for her. Even if the koolaid drinkers Dixie Chick her, she will still be very very rich (just like the Rolling Stones).

As country music goes, she's one of the few that I could ever listen to and actually like.

[supernova]

3. Dolly's the best!

:D

:applause: Dolly! :applause: I wish I could have seen that.

I never thought of her as political either way, though I sorta assumed she might be liberal. There have been little hints of it over the years:

- "The Coat of Many Colors" She talks about a coat that her mother made for her out of scraps. And how she felt loved because of it. And how other kids teased her for it, mercilessly.

- That whole Dollywood thing. Yes, it's tacky and overly commercial and everything else you could say about it. But she thought enough of the area she came from to invest in it, and try to give people opportunities.

So, you go Dolly!

Thanks for sharing.

[KoKo]

29. Coat of Many Colors gets me every time I hear it.....

No way I can listen to that one without falling apart...

[jasmeel]

4. GO DOLLY!!!!

[Blue_In_AK]

5. Emmylou Harris sang "Imagine" also

when she was up here last month, and also "Abraham, Martin and John." It gave me chills. Dolly and Emmylou are friends -- they may share politics, too, for all we know.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

7. I saw Emmylou in concert right after "Elite Hotel" was released.

I had FRONT ROW SEATS at the Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos CA, which means I was about six feet away from the revolving stage.

She opened for Willie Nelson. One of the most talented, most "naturally beautiful," most DECENT HUMAN BEINGS walking this planet. What a voice, what a wonderful woman.



:toast:

[Blue_In_AK]

16. Agreed. She is our favorite. n/t

[tishaLA]

17. She always breaks my heart with her voice

She's also one of the great women of country music who gets away with her liberal politics cause she's that big. I think Dolly can, too, but she also has that silly amusement park et al to look after. Heck, if her friendship with Jane Fonda didn't hurt her, what will?

[gokar]

48. The most haunting, heart touching voice I have ever heard is from her.

[coda]

32. Hey Blue

Love Emmylou too. :hi:


Here's a couple of RAMs from Prarie Home Companion


http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/19981205/rafiles/981205_abraham_28.ram

57:00 Applause-Emmylou Talk/GK Talk
58:03 Abraham, Martin, and John

-

http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/19981205/rafiles/981205_lovehurts_28.ram

53:00 Applause - GK Intro Emmylou
54:00 Love Hurts

[Blue_In_AK]

35. Thanks for the links. I'll check them out. n/t

[Dudley_DUright]

6. Thanks B_E_B

I missed this at Salon somehow. Dolly needs to give Toby Keith and Clint Black a good talkin' to, if you know what I mean.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

10. She's proof that issues sometimes transcend "loyalty to the party"

The reality is that Ms. Parton's fan base may be largely made up of "red state" voters. I don't know her own political affilation...to be honest, it never really mattered to me.

BUT...she's not afraid to say what she thinks about this unholy war.

WHATEVER her political beliefs, she showed some cojones on the subject of the war in Iraq.

:patriot:

[A Simple Game]

13. This might also be a sign

that the war is now becoming beyond politics. That left and right are being replaced with right and wrong.

Let's hope so.

[chookie]

31. WOW! WHAT A SENTENCE!

>>That left and right are being replaced with right and wrong.<<

Bingo.

[A Simple Game]

34. Now that I reread it,

it makes the left sound like it is being replaced with and equated with wrong. Certainly wasn't my intention.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

8. Good for Dolly!

:thumbsup:

[wolfgirl]

11. Dolly is my cousin and

she has a heart the size of...well...you know...I believe more and more folks are beginning to see the light. We mustn't falter, we must keep fighting to bring this corruption to an end...

[Booster]

15. I got to work on Dolly's tv show and she is the absolute sweetest

person who ever worked in a studio. I've always thought that that's why her um, you know, are so big cause they have to hold the world's biggest heart in her chest. She's a really compassionate person; always concerned about the crew on her show even though she probably worked harder than any of us. I love Dolly, and have to believe she is mostly liberal no matter what her politics are - and I really don't even care what they are.

[KoKo]

27. She's a lovely lady, and a careful one ...smart as a fox and no Bush

lover. She was asked to appear at some Bush fest that was broadcast on TV after 9/11 and she dressed up in Red, White and Blue and subtlely got her message across just like Ray Charles did when he snubbed Bush after being asked to appear at his first Inaugural for the party afterwards.

Both of them were very careful in the songs they sung and the way they sung them.

I wish I could find my post on DU about what Dolly sung when she appeared at that 9/11 Memorial Tribute. It's back there in Old DU Archives and so much has gone on that I don't remember the song or exactly what she did...but I knew when I saw her she was "one of us."

I've always loved her and never been disappointed in her. She sings from her heart and she remembers where she came from...that's more than most folks these days.

[OzarkDem]

22. How lucky you are!

I've been a fan of hers since her Porter Waggoner days. Her music, as well as Emmylou's and Linda Ronstadts got me through most of my adult years, just as Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline were my mom's favorites.

Recall she was also a feminist in her own right, with 9 to 5. Aren't they doing a remake of that movie?

This kind of performance doesn't surprise me at all and I'm sure she did a wonderful rendition of those songs. I LOVE her voice and I feel like I know her through her songs.

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. She's your cousin? Way cool! :^D

[Samantha]

41. She's my cousin as well, so what does that make us?

Dolly's mother and my mother's grandmother were sisters. My mom's sisters go to the family reunion, and they say she comes incognito. They all live in the vicinity of Knoxville, Tennessee, which I am sure you know is not that far from Dollywood. The reunions are held in Gatlinburg (okay, it's late, did I spell that correctly?)

One thing I have to say about my mom and her siblings, there were six females and one male, all of the women were drop dead gorgeous. Most had a lot of musical ability, and are the kindest, most gentle people you would ever want to meet. I lost my mom when I was six, but reunited with her family when I was nineteen. One of her sisters was a ringer for Marilyn Monroe (but she had absolutely no cosmetic surgery ever performed).

Even though Tennessee is a red state, it has some beautiful, talented people, and, of course, it is the home of my political hero, Al Gore. His father's home in Carthage, Tennessee, is only about 60 miles from my family home.

Perhaps Dolly Parton (whose real name is Rebecca) can bring Tennessee to some sort of political awakening. I am proud of my relationship to her, and I love her song, "I will always love you."

[gardenista]

12. Gives me chills thinking about it. Go Dolly! nt

[mmonk]

14. Well bust my buttons

[MelissaB]

18. I love Dolly! I grew up listening to country becasue my mom did.

I have a Dolly cd in the car, and it's time to put it back in.

[Libby2]

19. Way to go Dolly !

This could get interesting....will the repukes take on Dolly?

I love that woman !!

[liberaltrucker]

47. At their peril

Dolly has a fan base transcending musical, cultural, ethnic and political lines. Bring 'em on:)

[chieftain]

20. Dolly singing Dylan, Aint that America ?

[Pepperbelly]

21. Dolly has got it going on and anyone who doesn't think so ...

can kiss my ass.

She is as real as they come, even though her boobs may not be, as she jokingly notes. Good for Dolly.

[Raster]

24. one of my fondest memories as a child is watching Dolly on tv with Porter

Wagonner years ago with my Nan. When she sang "I will always love you" without the muss and the fuss, just Dolly, it was enough to break your heart. It still does.

[kentuck]

25. I was in love with Dolly when I was 12 and she was 13....

She used to sing with her uncles, Willie and Bud Brewster, Bud was the banjo player. They came on the Cas Walker show that was on WATE-TV out of Knoxville. Cas was the "old coon hunter" and he would talk half his show away by holding up pork & beans and other canned products from his store. Then, the moment would come and he would introduce little Dolly Parton from Sevierville. I could have sworn I was listening to an angel...

[DeepModem Mom]

26. Wow! nt

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Redneck Socialist]

30. Good for Dolly

I loves me some Dolly Parton

[Tin Man]

33. glad to hear about the big heart beneath that big bosom

...I've always known that she's an exceptional song writer, artist, and performer.

[eleny]

37. Laura Flanders was just talking about her on AAR

A friend of Laura's convinced her to go to the Dolly concert at Radio City. Laura said the concert was phenomenal and she wants to have Dolly on the show.

Here are the songs on the new album. It sounds fabulous.
1. Twelfth Of Never (duet w/ Keith Urban)
2. Blowin In The Wind (w/ Nickel Creek)
3. The Cruel War (w/ Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski & Mindy Smith)
4. Where Have All The Flowers Gone? (w/ Norah Jones & Lee Ann Womack)
5. Turn, Turn, Turn (w/ Roger McGuinn)
6. If I Were A Carpenter (duet w/ Joe Nichols)
7. Crimson And Clover (w/ Tommy James)
8. Both Sides Now (w/ Judy Collins and Rhonda Vincent)
9. Me And Bobby McGee (w/ Kris Kristofferson)
10. Those Were The Days (w/ Mary Hopkin and The Opry Gang)
11. Where Do The Children Play (w/ Cat Stevens)
12. Imagine

[Johnny Noshoes]

38. Wow

I never thought I'd want to buy a Dolly Parton CD - big jazz fan that I am - but this sounds like its a pretty good CD based on the songs.

[LizW]

40. I am SO getting that CD!

It sounds terrific. I grew up listening to Dolly, and I adore her.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

39. Always Had A Crush On Dolly

And her long nails.

[AzDar]

42. Ms. Parton also sends EACH child born in Sevier County, Tenn.

one hardback book a year for, I believe, the first five years of their lives! She grew up dirt-poor, of course, and never owned any books of her own as a child...so she has instituted this literacy program for the children of Eastern Tennessee. SO VERY COOL!!!

[Wizard777]

44. Dolly always has been a REAL class act. Even when she gets a lil naughty.

Dolly is know for being straight forward and honest. That is her Charm. She has always openly admited to going through life leading with her chest. They are Gods gift to her and it would be a sin for her not use them. Amen! She doesn't mind men staring at her chest when they talk to her. At least that way she's sure that she has their full attention while she's speaking to them. She is the ultimate diplomat. Everyone loves her and no one on the face of this earth would dare argue with her. O'Lord and may Heaven have mercy and hell forget any Fool that would insult or otherwise disparage her in any way. Because that is how Dolly would want it. She's just kind hearted like that.
Even if Dolly did get some that Dixie Chic fire in her belly. The GOP wouldn't dare say anything other than. Yes Ma'am. We're Sorry ma'am. Because if they did. They would have every redneck in the world outside the White House sayin'. Well what do you know? This Bush Feller ain't no redneck after all. Thar ain't no wheels on that thar house! But ifin' we all give the Prezident a real big hand....I think we can get this sucker moving anyway. Now everybody push! Git-r-done!

[Booster]

45. It took me awhile, but info I found on this new CD is that it will be

released on Oct.11th. Following is from CMT website: Dolly Parton will release "Those Were the Days", an album of folk classics, on Oct. 11. Duet partners include Joe Nichols ("If I Were a Carpenter") and Keith Urban ("Twelfth of Never"). Judy Collins, Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, Mindy Smith, Rhonda Vincent and Lee Ann Womack are among the artists providing harmonies.

Dolly has really lined herself up with some talent on this CD, and I will be ordering it on Amazon.com as soon as it comes out. Sounds like a good one. Great song, good talent; can't beat that.

[EndElectoral]

46. Love Dolly, but prefer Jagger's Sweet Neo-Con!

An extract from ’Sweet Neo Con’ features the following lines: "You call yourself a Christian, I call you u a hypocrite/You call yourself a patriot, well I think you're full of sh*t."

http://www.nme.com/news/113295.htm