The “Queen of Country” knows a thing or two about the power of words.
Dolly Parton didn't become the “Queen of Country” just because of her angelic voice. Dolly has penned more than 3,000 songs during her career, including “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Will Always Love You,” and "Jolene.” She's also written hits sung by Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers, and Hank Williams Jr. Her lyrics touch on real-life topics like heartbreak, faith, poverty, and family.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Dolly shared which songs she was most proud of writing: “Well, I’m proud of all of them,” Parton said. “I think the one that’s most personal to me is the lil’ ‘Coat of Many Colors,’ because it talks about my mom, my parents and kind of gives you an insight. It also covers bullying, acceptance and all that.”
Dolly shares wisdom — and humor — with her fans in other ways too. The Grammy-winner frequently shares noteworthy sayings in interviews and books.
“We always made jokes and said we didn’t even know we were poor till some smart aleck up and told us,” Dolly told TODAY in 2015. “We didn’t have any money, but we were rich in things that money don’t buy. You know, like love and kindness and understanding.”
Whether you need a belly laugh or a dose of inspiration, the iconic singer-songwriter has just the words for you. Read on for 25 of the most notable Dolly Parton quotes of all time.
Inspirational Dolly Parton Quotes
1. “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
2. “Find out who you are. And do it on purpose.”
3. “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”
4. “You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.”
5. “You can wish your life away. But if you’re going to dream, you’re going to have to get out and, like I always say, you have to put some wings on them dreams, and some feet and fingers and some hands. They gotta get into some stuff. You can’t just sit around and think of all the things you want to do. You’ve got to think of what you want to do, and then you’ve got to get out and make that happen.”
Funny Dolly Parton Quotes
6. “I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb—and I'm not blonde either.”
7. “I tried every diet in the book. I tried some that weren’t in the book. I tried eating the book. It tasted better than most of the diets.”
8. “Every single diet I ever fell off of was because of potatoes and gravy of some sort.”
9. “I was the first woman to burn my bra—it took the fire department four days to put it out.”
10. “I am a self-made woman, and I have the doctor bills to prove it.”
Dolly Parton Quotes On Beauty
11. “People always ask me how long it takes to do my hair. I don’t know, I’m never there.”
12. “I have pretty good skin considering my age, and I think a lot of it is mineral oil and bacon grease.”
13. “People say how you stay looking so young? I say, well, good lighting, good doctors, and good makeup.”
14. “Never ignore your roots, your home, or your hair.”
15. “You don’t have to look like everybody else. You don’t have to be a raving beauty to be special and to be beautiful.”
16. “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.”
Dolly Parton Quotes On Success
17. “I’ve always tried to never step on anybody to get where I am. I’ve had to walk around a few people, jump over a few of ‘em now and then, but I think you’re a true success when you’ve seen your dreams come true and you can take pride in how you did it, and take pride in and respect and appreciate the people that helped you get there.”
18. “You know, I look like a woman, but I think like a man. And in this world of business, that has helped me a lot. Because by the time they think that I don't know what's goin' on, I then got the money, and am gone.”
19. “I know who I am, I know what I can and can't do. I know what I will and won't do. I know what I'm capable of and I don't agree to do things that I don't think I can pull off.”
20. “You gotta keep trying to find your niche and trying to fit into whatever slot that's left for you or to make one of your own.”
21. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader.”
Dolly Parton Quotes On Faith
22. “If I can hold God's attention, I can hold the world's.”
23. “Prayer is not a formal affair, it’s more a come-as-you-are.”
24. “You just have to pray, if you're a faith-based person, for strength. If not, you just have to keep your wits about you and lean on your higher wisdom to know that things happen, and most things we get through, and usually, we come out better on the other side.”
25. “And so I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with and to bring all the right things and right people into my life and to take the wrong ones out.”
Want to learn more about the inspiring singer, songwriter, actress, author, businesswoman, philanthropist? Read our October 2023 cover story penned by Robert K. Oermann.
