Title: Your Guide to Finding All the Dolly Parton Song References in Dollywood
Author: Joshua Hodge
Publishing Date: Feb 14, 2022
Category: Dolly Parton
Throughout Dolly Parton’s namesake theme park, Dollywood, there are quite a number of
tributes and references to her songs. Some are more obvious than others. Can you find them
all? Here’s your guide to finding references to Dolly Parton songs in the park:
“Love is Like A Butterfly”
The quest for finding Dolly Parton song references is rewarding right away, for the sign that
immediately greets guests when they enter the park is affixed with a giant butterfly representing
the letter “W” in Dollywood. The butterfly is a common theme and logo throughout the park. It
can be seen as a throwback to her 1974 hit, “Love is Like a Butterfly.”
“My Tennessee Mountain Home”
After making your way down Showstreet you soon find yourself at Rivertown Junction. Here
stands a unique structure- a replica of Dolly's childhood home which she sings about in her hit
song, “My Tennessee Mountain Home.”
“Coat of Many Colors”
A visit to the Chasing Rainbows Museum in Dollywood rewards with a lot of Dolly Parton relics
from over the ages, including the original Coat of Many Colors! The one she sings about in her
beloved song.
“The Old Black Kettle”
Consider the lyrics from Dolly’s song, “Old Black Kettle.” She tells about an old wood stove,
singing, “the oven door was sprung a little bit, so we propped it up with a forked stick.” Then
take a look at what we see inside her Tennessee Mountain Home!
Also, when dining at Song and Hearth: A Southern Eatery at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort
and Spa, look up! Notice the light fixtures- a series of old black kettles!
“Blue Smoke” and “Joshua”
In The Village at Dollywood you’ll find the park's real functional steam locomotive, The
Dollywood Express. This reminds me of Dolly’s song “Blue Smoke.” It’s not her only song
featuring a train. She has a number of heartbreak songs in which someone is leaving on a train.
There is also the song “Joshua,” about the man who lived “a good ways down the railroad
track.” In this area of the park I can’t help but think of these songs.
“Heartsong”
At the far end of The Village you’ll find the Heartsong Theater, which shares a name with the
title track on Dolly’s album, recorded live in Dollywood in 1994, titled “Heartsongs: Live from
Home.”
“These Old Bones”
Okay, this one might be a little bit of a stretch, but Daredevil Falls’ theming of an old saw mill
reminds me of one of my favorite Dolly Parton songs, “These Old Bones” from one of her
bluegrass albums, “Halos and Horns,” in which the “witchy woman” she portrays in voice
recounts a tragedy that took place up at an old saw mill.
“Church in the Wildwood”
The Robert F. Thomas Chapel, a functioning chapel within Dollywood, is a real treasure. It
reminds me of Dolly Parton’s rendition of “Church in the Wildwood” on her album “Precious
Memories,” which was sold exclusively at Dollywood as a part of the kickoff of its fourteenth
season in 1999.
“Dr. Robert F. Thomas”
Dr. Robert F. Thomas was a traveling missionary doctor in the Smoky Mountains who delivered
Dolly Parton. She pays homage to him in song. In the park, not only is the chapel named after
him, but in the Chasing Rainbows Museum you will find his mailbox on display.
“Applejack”
The song “Applejack,” from Dolly’s first self-produced album in 1977, “New Harvest…First
Gathering,” is so much fun! You can find Applejack wandering the park and picking on his banjo.
You know it’s him when you see his nametag.
“Daddy’s Working Boots”
We see perhaps two sets of Daddy’s Working Boots. One pair is inside the Tennessee
Mountain Home and another is in the Chasing Rainbows Museum.
“Cas Walker Theme”
Dolly Parton’s first television and radio gig was on the Cas Walker Show, a variety show that
promoted Walker’s successful chain of grocery stores. Dolly sings the “Cas Walker Theme” on
her album “Heartsongs: Live from Home.” Also an original recording from the show is found on
Dollywood.com. In Jukebox Junction in Dollywood we see a facade of Cas Walker’s
Supermarket.
“Wild Eagle” and “Wildwood Grove”
Did you know Dolly Parton has written songs to promote new attractions in her park? When the
rollercoaster, Wild Eagle, was revealed, Dolly sang and recorded a song to promote it. Also she
reworked the lyrics of her song “Love is Like a Butterfly,” to sing about Wildwood Grove at its
grand opening.
“Jolene”
We find this reference in the Dollywood Emporium, the main gift shop at the park. It’s on a t-shirt
that’s just too funny! I have often said Jolene should also be a character walking around the
park with her “flaming locks of auburn hair, with ivory skin and eyes of emerald green,” but
perhaps she wouldn’t be well accepted, since after all she is a bit of a villain in the world of all
things Dolly.
“Together you and I.”
While walking around the park you’ll hear many Dolly Parton songs, too many to list here, but
“Together you and I” is played nightly and is worth mentioning. If you hear it, you know the park
is closing. It’s always played right at the end of the day.
“I Will Always Love you,”
When leaving Dollywood, keep your eyes peeled for a sign with this final lyric and message
straight out of Dolly’s wildly popular song, which has been covered and celebrated by many.
These are all the song references I have found in the park. It’s been fun to search for them. Can
you find perhaps even more?
Insider Tips
Here are a few relevant Dollywood tips I want to share with you:
- Knowing some of Dolly Parton’s greatest hits, helps you really appreciate some of the theming
of the park.
- If you are looking for a more relaxing and leisurely time at Dollywood, spend some time seeing
if you can find Dolly song references in the park.
- You can learn more about the stories behind Dolly Parton’s songs in her book “Songteller: My
Life in Lyrics.”
- If you are a fan of Dolly Parton’s songs, be sure to catch a performance of her family
performing her songs in the Dreamsong Theater.
- Consider making a playlist of these Dolly Parton’s songs to listen to on your way to Dollywood.