The Beatles Were Praised For This Song, But Dolly Parton Made It Even More Famous

Dolly Parton borrowed a song from The Beatles when it was already a hit, and it got even better.

Highlights

Dolly Parton’s upcoming album, Rockstar, is generating excitement as she aims to become a rock star in addition to her country music success.
The inclusion of The Beatles’ classic song “Let It Be” on the album was a complicated decision, but Dolly was able to involve Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
Dolly has always loved The Beatles and their music, with “I Want to Hold Your Hand” being a song that deeply resonated with her. She also included a cover of “Help!” on a previous album.

Fans are understandably excited about Dolly Parton‘s upcoming album, Rockstar, which is due to be released later this year to show her ambition to become a great rock star in addition to her accomplishments as one of the greatest country music stars.

The most exciting part? Teaming up with the likes of The Beatles to cover some of their most epic songs.

However, the story behind how the country music legend decided to include the classic “Let It Be” in her album is more complicated than fans would guess, much like many other things about the star’s life, such as her husband’s dislike of her music despite their sixty-year-long marriage.

What Song Did Dolly Parton Do With The Beatles?

While the song that will appear on Dolly Parton’s Rockstar album features both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr (in addition to Mick Fleetwood and Peter Frampton of Fleetwood Mac fame), Dolly didn’t originally plan to involve the two surviving members of The Beatles in recording it.

“Let It Be” was first released by The Beatles in 1970 and is also the name of the album in which it was included. Fans loved it, and it became one of the best-known Beatles songs of the band’s illustrious career.

One of those fans was Dolly Parton, who had wanted to record a cover with Paul McCartney for a long time after first hearing the song inspired by his dream of his mother.

However, as she was recording songs for her upcoming album, she went ahead and recorded her own version of it. After recording her own version, she finally reached out to Paul McCartney to ask if he wanted to contribute. After he agreed, she thought Ringo Starr would also like to participate.

“I’ve always loved that song. I recorded the song without them, and then thought, ‘Wow. Wouldn’t it be great if Paul McCartney would agree to play piano and sing on it?!’ And then I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be even greater to have Ringo Starr play on that track?” Dolly said.

Dolly was happy when both men agreed, and she got her “all-star song,” saying, “The whole idea of having Paul, who I’ve loved through the years, and just having them on it […] I was excited to death.”

Dolly Has Always Loved The Beatles

Dolly Parton didn’t always have an eclectic taste in music. The “Jolene” singer grew up in rural Tennessee and her main inspirations as a young artist were gospel and country music. She loved rock and roll, but it wasn’t her favorite musical genre.

However, this changed the first time she heard “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles. Dolly Parton became obsessed with the song, particularly because she felt it applied to her life.

Dolly said that the song reminded her of her first kiss because she had begun “to date a little bit” when she first heard it.

“I loved all kinds of songs, and I grew up singin’ all sorts of songs, but the first time I ever remember totally being jarred and feelin’ all kinds of emotions was when that song came out,” she added.

“I Want to Hold Your Hand” was not the only song by the iconic band that left Dolly Parton feeling jarred. She has been a loyal fan of The Beatles over the years and showed her devotion by including a cover of another one of their songs, “Help!”, on her Great Balls of Fire album in 1979.

“Let It Be” Is One Of The Beatles’ Most Iconic Songs

Because of the catchy tune and thoughtful lyrics, “Let It Be” became an instant hit and rose to the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 after its release.

Paul McCartney, who wrote the song himself, despite also crediting John Lennon, was inspired by a dream in which he was visited by his mother, who had died, to reassure him of her love and tell him to “let it be.”

He recalled his experience in his book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, writing: “In this dream, seeing my mum’s beautiful, kind face and being with her in a peaceful place was very comforting.”

The message of peace and acceptance that everything will turn out all right that the song promotes was exactly what fans needed amid the turmoil of the Vietnam War in the 1970s. It was not a coincidence that they loved the song and that it remains one of the most beloved songs of The Beatles.

It is also no surprise that Dolly Parton decided to include it on an album that she wants to use to showcase the best rock songs ever written and her prowess as a rock singer.

It fits well with her other choices for the album, including her collaboration with Sting for “Every Breath You Take,” her duet of “I Want You Back” with Steven Tyler or her work with Elton John on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”

Dolly also plans to cover “Wrecking Ball” with her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, to show that, despite not agreeing with Miley’s culinary choices, she clearly appreciates her musical skills.