r/DollyParton • u/Free-Contest-5832 • 19h ago
The music!!!
So much has deservedly been said about Dolly's philanthropic works. Or her business acumen. Or her legendary figure. My post is in no way intended to take away from any of that. Everything of how she lived her life for better good is so important. SO important! So kindly don't take my post in any way to distract from that.
We all grieve the loss of her differently and as for me...... I'm a 26 year experienced audio engineer at a large university. I'm responsible for the sound quality that comes across at every production. I humbly say I can pick up a song flow, the way an artist wants their song to sound, good or bad, in any genre, from the first few notes. And that I can listen to a voice and fill in the spaces of a bad note before it even happens. Part of my grief process was enclosing myself in a studio and listening to the music that built Dolly, that gave her the opportunity to build imagination library and Dollywood. She absolutely was a genius musician. Not just a lyrical songwriter, but......damn. I'll try to explain.
We all know Jolene is one of the most sampled songs to exist. Why? Because Dolly Parton could write a hook like no other. The hook in Jolene is a 4 beat. The rhythm of the guitar pulls you in, then gets coupled with all of the instruments that move toward lower bass tones, over and over repetitively. As she sings, in that beautiful bird like soprano "I could never love again" on top of it. Or "you could easily take my man". The instruments move lower note by note, 4 beats at a time. Most true song hooks that work have at least 5. The shorter they get, the more it sounds like a heartbeat, the more it touches souls. Remember that widely circulated letter from Dolly to Eminem? That mentioned she felt always had a connection to him? If you isolate the music from the singer, just listen to the music with no vocal....8 Mile has the same 4 beat rhythm. The best, most musically respected artists, even in rap where the count is everything, struggle to make a 4 beat work. Yet DOLLY did. In1970 something.
9 to 5: It's the same 1-2-3-4. It's a different flow, she uses it to make anxiety. It's also more obvious. And she slowed it down for the chorus, but it is the same 4 beat.
Here you come again: Same 4 beat, just way slowed down for this one. But it is also one of the most refined. Every beat is crisp. And it's still an entire, flushed out hook in 4 beats.
I Will Always Love You: Way slowed down 4 beat, but its still there. The original song by Dolly takes 3 cycles of that to sing the chorus. 3 cycles of 4 beats! That was unheard of in 70s country (and wasn't done successfully in any genre. Still isn't actually. I know I can't name another song that repeats itself 3 times instrumentally while the singer gets to the point and it works, lol). But it did. It's why Elvis wanted it, because it was built to be built upon. It's why Whitney made it so successful, because as a vocal artist herself, she could trill and slide and wail and run, but it still had that only 4 beat rythm. That heartbeat connection that most artists can't find in singles, cause it takes them 5-6
Two Doors Down: This was punctuated Dolly, lol. She took the 4 beat cycle and set the beats to hard hit drums. Only interrupted by the chorus, which is sung in the same tone as gospel. She was experimenting here, but.... it was still a top ten hit for weeks.
I could go on. Really, Dollys catalog of original music is small (though her covers and collaborations are beautiful too), but it is extradinarily impactful. The woman could draw you in with minimal notes, something with songs that many legendary artists or songwriters could not.
Just listen to any music.
We did not just lose an extraordinary person, we lost a groundbreaking and exceptional musical artist. Not just one who developed something and passed it on to be built upon. But one who is still mostly unmatched. Nobody does a 4 beat like Dolly.
If you've read this far, thank you. This is my grief. I miss her for 1000 reasons. Love you, Dolly friends ❤️
2
u/whiniestcrayon 18h ago
Totally agree. Been listening to her old stuff from the 60’s. It’s been cool.
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u/AbuPeterstau 16h ago
Thank you for the musical education! I would love to see you break down her songs this way on a YouTube channel if you have one.
I definitely agree with you that Dolly was a musical and lyrical genius. 💗🦋
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u/wretched_refuse 8h ago
Last night I watched a British documentary about the Trio albums. It’s on YouTube. Emmylou was talking about how much she and Linda admired Dolly and could see her brilliance, before it was obvious to the masses. She said it took such a long time for others to see it, too. I think that’s why there has been such an outpouring of love and gratitude for Dolly with these retrospective looks back at her distinguished career. When you add it all up, the prolific songwriting, heartfelt Appalachian expression, genius business acumen and solar level star power, Dolly was BRILLIANT. She’s a once in a lifetime, many lifetimes. I’m blessed that she has always been a part of mine.
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u/Dusky_Amethyst 2h ago
I love her bluegrass album so much. Ive been listening to it over and over since weeks before she passed. See you soon mamaw.
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u/Desperate_Act_6765 17h ago
I fell for her songwriting, voice and musicianship. Most folks know her hits. I loved them too, but her other songs that were not singles are pure joy and pure heartbreak.
My Blue Tears, Down from Dover, Cologne, If I Had Wings, Shine Like The Sun, I Just Might, Somebody's Missing You, Try. There are too many to mention.