11 Charming Dolly Parton Quotes on Life, Love, and Everything In Between

January 19, 2022

Dolly Parton has had something of a renaissance in recent years. There was a podcast, Dolly Parton’s America, devoted to her rise; a Netflix show, Heartstrings; a musical and a book, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics; all topped off with a festive movie, Christmas on the Square. Decades after she first stepped into the spotlight, the queen of country music (and her rhinestone-embellished attire) still inspires a love that knows no bounds.

The singer may famously sidestep politics, but her always witty, often wise words on other topics more than make up for it. With a career spanning over 50 years and a string of unforgettable songs to her name (she did “I Will Always Love You” before Whitney), Parton has managed to achieve the near-impossible: cross-generational appeal.

On her 76th birthday, Vogue takes a look back at some of Dolly’s greatest quotes to date—along with some of her best (and most bedazzled) ensembles.

Photo: Nancy Barr Brandon/Mediapunch/Shutterstock
1/11
“I was the first woman to burn my bra—it took the fire department four days to put it out.”
Photo: Shutterstock
2/11
“After you reach a certain age, they think you’re over. Well, I will never be over. I’ll be making records if I have to sell them out of the trunk of my car. I’ve done that in my past, and I’d do it again.”

Photo: Moviestore/Shutterstock
3/11
“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
Photo: Getty Images
4/11
“I look like a woman but I think like a man. I’ve done business with men who think I’m as silly as I look. By the time they realize I’m not, I’ve got the money and gone.”