Storytelling with Dolly
(& Other Iconic Ladies of Classic Country Music)
Growing up in central Minnesota meant the radio station that played on the school bus was always the country one. On lazy, weekend mornings, the TV might be on the Country Music TV (CMT) channel, and we’d watch one music video after another. Then, too, there was the movie Pure Country (1992) starring George Strait; my dad sure seemed to love watching that whenever it was on.
In more personal ways, this genre was a part of my childhood because, if my memory serves me correctly, music that became part of my own collection began with a Tammy Wynette “Greatest Hits” cassette tape. Where it came from, I have no clue, but it was definitely mine. I played that thing, front and back, quite a bit. “Stand By Your Man” may just be the first song I ever listened to and thought, “Wow, this lady can sing!”
The personal collection grew in the third or fourth grade. I can’t remember which birthday it was, but, though I hadn’t put these on my wishlist, I was gifted two important CDs: The Essential Dolly Parton (2005) and The Best of Johnny Cash (2002). I absolutely went through a Johnny Cash phase—I even had a few Cash graphic tees back in the day—and I thought Dolly’s voice sure was pretty.
Her passing this week had me on Spotify not only listening to her music but also that of Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, and Loretta Lynn. And hearing their voices and lyrics has had me thinking about what I believe makes a song great—the storytelling within it.
There are great musical storytellers in every genre and in every decade music has ever been shared, but it’s the ladies of classic country I’m looking at today.
To start, what each of them had in common was something to do with their voices. There is such distinct presence in their vocals, whether they’re singing piano or forte or it’s a ballad or a quick little number. There’s a certain warmth and life to their voices that’s so important.
As a writer, I’m not sure you always need to nail the warmth because let’s say you’re writing a thriller or something gothic. Warm isn’t necessarily the tone you want to strike. You may want a more chilling take or eerie and unsettling. Regardless, you bring life to the page through your distinct authorial voice, and you write in a way that only you can. You’re not mimicking the sounds of anyone else (though, as you’re starting out with learning the craft, you can absolutely practice by writing as if you were whichever author you admire), and you can’t be self-conscious that your sound is unique and entirely your own. However you show up in the written word is there to be embraced, not to shy away from or compare to how anyone else is.
We are better for those voices—in both music and literature—that stay true to the qualities they have to offer and create unabashedly with them.
The other key element to pull from these singers and songwriters is that they took content from actual life, oftentimes their personal lives and experiences. They looked at what was around them, what they knew, and crafted with the material they had. There doesn’t have to be anything mind-bogglingly clever or supremely profound in what you write for it to still connect and resonate with your audience. Beauty and simplicity are good friends, after all.
Look at so much of the music that’s been shared this week paying tribute to Dolly Parton. People praise how she wrote from her own life. Obviously, “I Will Always Love You” is doing numbers, but there’s also “My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy,” “Applejack,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “My Tennessee Mountain Home,” and “Appalachian Memories.” And that’s just scratching the barest surface of her discography!
Not every single song any of these ladies sang was 100% a mirror to their life, but that’s not the point. The point is to see the compelling narrative waiting to be noticed and used. The world is full of tales, and you can run with them however you please. There’s so much possibility. You may enjoy realistic fiction while someone else likes a fantastical twist. Or a layer of fabricated mystery. Or sprinkles of daydreams and romance. There’s space for all of it, and it’s up to you to carefully choose the words and emotions and sentiments that build that story up until you have cohesive piece. This last thing is easier said than done, I know—ha.
These are simple thoughts this week, but there’s value in reorienting ourselves to foundational truths. Writers today have so much advice constantly streaming in from so many different avenues, and the noise can drown out what’s important. When it comes to your craft, there’s no “one size fits all” starter pack. The routine that works for me isn’t going to guarantee your success. You may be told to buy or subscribe to x, y, and z, but more “things” and “stuff” aren’t going to write your book for you.
So, sticking with the simple, my invitation for you is to return to it. Hone in on your voice. Look around at the life you’re making off-screen and be inspired by it. Write what you have energy and excitement for.
Enjoy some music, too, while you’re at it, and let these lovely ladies of country music inspire you to tell your tales: