I would never claim to be a Dolly Parton fan, but the woman’s career has been prolific.
25 number one songs. More than 100 million records sold. The only human to have songs in the top 20 every decade from the 1960s through the 2010s. More than one thousand songs released, thousands more written but never recorded.
And although she’s known as a legend of Country music, her songs clearly transcend that genre, and she’s been covered by many non-Country artists. The White Stripes turned “Jolene” into brooding rock grit. Whitney Houston turned “I Will Always Love You” into a world-dominating R&B-pop ballad.
And by far the most beautiful transformation from Parton’s catalogue: The Wailin’ Jennys’ 2017 acapella folk version of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning”.
If you listen to Parton’s 1977 original, you’ll hear how different it is – it’s a typical sappy Country song that almost morphs into a gospel tune at the end. But there’s a brief moment, just past the three-minute mark, that must have sparked the imagination of the Wailin’ Jennys: the instrumentation backs off, and Parton’s voice is supported by harmonizing backup vocals for a few sparkling seconds.
So despite my general dislike of Country music, this week I’m grateful to Parton for writing the song, and to the Wailin’ Jennys for hearing its potential as an acapella gem.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. It opens with a calm hum, like the sun peeking over the horizon.
2. The heavenly harmonies, made even more wonderful by the occasional suspended chord or delicious dissonance.
3. In the final minute, the voices de-couple from one another, echoing the song’s title lyric like a mantra until you can’t help but feel optimistic about the future.
Recommended listening activity:
Tippin’ your cap to someone who deserves it.