Dolly Parton's Favorite Songs? One Made From Rags, One About Rocks.

Dolly Parton, a woman who has graced the planet with more than 50 studio albums and enough wit to power a small country, has written an absurd number of songs. We're talking seven decades of hits, many of which she famously penned in the same afternoon (looking at you, "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You").

Naturally, when you've got a catalog that deep, you're going to have some favorites. And, because Dolly is nothing if not refreshingly honest, she's also got a few she'd rather not revisit. Apparently, even legends have their "what was I thinking?" moments.

Her Heartfelt Hits

First up, the undisputed champion: "Coat of Many Colors." In a 2020 chat with Stephen Colbert, Dolly declared this deeply personal tune her absolute favorite. "That one, certainly, I love because of my mom. It’s a true story, and I have treasured memories of that," she explained. The song, a simple tale of her mother stitching together a coat from rags, has somehow become a universal anthem for kindness. It’s even used in schools to teach kids about acceptance. Because apparently, a patchwork coat can teach more than a textbook.

Next, a curveball: "Down From Dover." This one's a bit of an obscurity, telling the story of a young pregnant woman facing life alone. Dolly's affection for it? Precisely because it's not a smash hit. "I like songs that I’ve recorded in albums that a lot of people have never heard," she told Colbert. A true artist, appreciating the deep cuts.

And, of course, "I Will Always Love You" makes the list. Not just because it's iconic, but because it lets her sing. "All singers love to have a song that you can sing tender, and then you can go big if you want to," she noted. It's an opportunity to really show off the pipes, which, if you've ever heard Dolly, is always a good idea.

The Ones She'd Rather Forget

Now for the fun part. Even Dolly has some musical skeletons in the closet. In a 2003 interview with Conan O’Brien, she pulled back the curtain on a few that didn't quite hit the mark.

First up: "I’ll Oil Wells Love You." Yes, you read that right. This gem, penned long before the "I Will Always Love You," is about a woman who loves a rich man for, well, his oil wells. Because apparently, nothing says romance like fossil fuels.

Then there's "I Don’t Wanna Throw Rice," a 1967 collaboration with Bill Owens. The song is about a woman green with envy over another's wedding. Dolly specifically called out the lyric: "I don’t wanna throw rice / I wanna throw rocks at her." She laughed, admitting, "Yeah, there are some suckers in there." It’s comforting to know that even the most prolific songwriters have a few lyrical clunkers they can laugh about later. Luckily, these are rare exceptions in a career filled with pure gold.