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Those Were The Days

By Ted S. McGregor Jr.
The Inlander | October 24, 2005
DOLLY PARTON

Those Were the Days

Forget about Karl Rove and Harriet Miers; George W. Bush’s biggest problem these days might be Dolly Parton. On her latest CD, Dolly plays a groovy, circa 1968 hippie. And the songs she covers are the ones that used to keep Nixon awake all night — “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?” and even “Imagine.” Bush’s attack dogs bulldozed the Dixie Chicks, but this is Dolly “Southern Icon” Parton -- and when she goes anti-war, how long before the red states follow?

Dolly’s two sides – Nashville schmaltz and old-timey bluegrass – duke it out here. Some of these covers are a bit over-the-top, but her simpler arrangements are deeply affecting. “The Cruel War” is a relic of the Civil War, but with youngsters still marching off to combat all these years later, it packs an emotional wallop. The fun part is how Dolly has the songwriters back as guest artists — even Yusef “Cat Stevens” Islam, who is on Bush’s terrorist watch list (seriously). Looks like Homeland Security better open a file on this dangerous country girl.

— TED S. McGREGOR JR.
Tags: Dolly Parton, Those Were The Days

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