Dolly Parton Opens Up About Song She Wrote And Put In A Time Capsule That Won't Be Heard Until 2045

Dec 21, 2022 by apost team

Dolly Parton is an icon who has been in the spotlight for decades as one of the best country singers and musicians of all time. Parton has become a legend in the entertainment industry because of her bubbly personality, unique vocal tone and beautiful songwriting skills. 

Parton's musical talents became known early, and it wasn't long before she began writing her own songs. After graduating high school in 1964, then-18-year-old Parton moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to become a star. Incidentally, she kicked off what would be a legendary career that year and met the love of her life, her future husband, Carl Dean. The couple has been happily married for 56 years, but Dean tends to stay out of the spotlight.

While Parton is most notably known for her contribution to country music, she is also known for her philanthropic works, including a charitable organization she founded herself. 

Perhaps the "Jolene" singer's humble beginnings are the reason for her kindness. Parton grew up as one of 12 children in a poor Tennessee family, and her journey to stardom is one that draws an outpouring of love and admiration.

Beloved by many, Parton even opened Dollywood — a theme park in her honor. People working at the amusement park aren't only working for Parton's company, but they're working for a top employer recognized by Forbes. Apart from the holistic benefits, the organization also offers free tuition to their employees who wish to pursue further education.

In honor of Dollywood DreamMore resort's future 30th anniversary, Parton revealed she had buried a never-released song of hers in a time capsule, to be dug up and released for the occasion in 2045. The singer revealed the details of the unique arrangement during a December 2022 appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show."

During the interview with Kelly Clarkson, Parton revealed that in 2015 she wrote a song — a hit by her account — and then buried it in a time capsule that's set to be opened in 2045. The event coincided with the opening of her Dollywood DreamMore resort, but it seems like Parton has had second thoughts. She said:

"You have no idea how that has bothered me. I wanna go dig that up so bad ... It’s a really good song!”

Parton added:

“I don’t know whose damn idea that was. ... They weren’t expecting me to be there at all, and I probably won’t be. I might be there, who knows ... I figure it’ll probably disintegrate and nobody will ever hear it, that’s what bothers me. If it rots in there before they open it.”

But it's not the first time the public has been privy to the song's existence. The country superstar talked about the would-be hit in "Songteller: My Life in Lyrics," her book released in 2020. Set to be opened for the resort's 30th anniversary in 2045, Parton will be an incredible 99 years old then. 

Knowing she had a hit on her hands made it all the harder for Parton to bury the song, which she described as "like burying one of my kids, putting it on ice or something, and I won’t be around to see it brought back to life.” She added, at the time, “It’s just burning me up inside that I have to leave it in there."

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Dollywood is located in the Knoxville metropolitan area of Tennessee, but Parton — who lives in Nashville — would love to open up a museum there too, and it seems it's in the works for the near future. She told the Tennessean in November 2022, as reported by Yahoo:

“We have the museum at Dollywood, of course, but I would love to have something here since this is really my home. ... And I may have a restaurant or a bar and grill. Right now, though, I’ve got so many things going. I can do without that for the moment. But someday I will have a business here.” 

During Parton's visit to "The Kelly Clarkson Show," the musician gave audiences an iconic performance of her hit "9 to 5," alongside none other than Clarkson! The duo performed a duet of their rerecording of the 1980 hit track, which appeared in the 2022 film "Still Working 9 to 5."

She also revealed her initial reaction to hearing Whitney Houston's rendition of her song "I Will Always Love You." She said:

“I was just driving along, and I had the radio on ... It’s one of those things, it was like a dog hearing a whistle. ‘What is that?’ And all of a sudden, and that’s the first time — they hadn’t sent it to me or nothing. I heard it on the radio. When it went into, ‘And I …,’ I just freaked out. I had to pull over to the side, because I honestly thought I was going to wreck. It was the most overwhelming feeling, and you know how great that was.”

What do you think about Dolly Parton's unique time capsule song? Could you wait that long to reap the rewards of something you'd made? Let us know, then pass this on to any fans of Parton that you know!