Dolly had one rule.
Dolly Parton shook up the scene when she collaborated with Sabrina Carpenter for a new version of her hit “Please, Please, Please,” which appeared on Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet deluxe album. Carpenter was honored that Parton agreed to sing her on the song and posted to social media how incredible it was to work with one of her idols.
“Dolly and me singing in a pickup truck!!!!!! I am so honored to have one of my biggest idols on a song that means so much to me. ‘Short n’ Sweet’ deluxe is out now! Go watch and listen!!!! Love you forever Dolly.”
After the song was released, fans gave it mixed reviews. While I am a massive fan of the original version, personally, I felt it was a little too Gen Z for Parton to be featured on, and I was not the only one with this thought. While I felt vocally it was not a good fit, and “Slim Pickins” was a better song for Parton to be featured on, some fans slammed the duet, thinking it sounded like Parton used AI on her voice.
“Dolly sounds like she’s creeping up on me.”
“Why does only Dolly sound like she recorded it in 1950.”
“You can’t convince me this isn’t AI.”
“Bad AI is the best description I’ve heard”
However, I understand why Carpenter asked Parton to reimagine the song with her, given how big of a hit it was and still is. The two rearranged the composition to give it more of a twang, and right off the bat, fans noticed a slight change in the lyrics as well.
Instead of the chorus saying, “I beg you, don’t embarrass me, motherf*cker, ah-oh,” they sang, “I beg you, don’t embarrass me like the others.” In a recent interview with Knox News, Parton shared that the change in the lyric was her request before agreeing to the duet.
Given that Carpenter can be a little racy in her on-stage moves and lyrical choices (see the example below):
no words, just sabrina carpenter’s juno position pic.twitter.com/8eCOe7vqsG
— best of sabrina carpenter (@carpenterfiles) November 12, 2024
Parton laid down the law that in order for her to sing with her on the track, a few changes needed to be made.
“Of course, she can talk a little bad now and then. I told her, I said, now, I don’t cuss. I don’t make fun of Jesus. I don’t talk bad about God, and I don’t say dirty words, on camera, but known to if I get mad enough.”
With that, the lyric was changed. Let’s be honest: if I were Sabrina Carpenter, I’d rewrite the whole song to make Dolly happy. Later in the interview, Dolly said that she’s open to collaboration with other artists, not putting limits on who she’d work with. Well… as long as she likes them.
“Whoever calls me that I like. (And) I’ll I say, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that!”
Dolly Parton is truly a gem. Before you go, fire up the track.
