Musical Mondays Week 20 The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

[PollyDarton 1807]

Two possibilities: 1) With their late-night work schedules and early morning chicken-related chores, maybe she didn't have the time or energy to lose weight before, or 2) Dolly was trying to prevent the girls from becoming too body conscious and getting caught up in beauty culture -- she wanted real women who focus their attention on hot, steamy, tattoo-less, vanilla sex.

 

The Chicken Ranch is like an ice cream parlor that only sells Vanilla, but it's ALLLLLL the sweet, sweet vanilla you want.

[Cam Bert 8145]

I mean in fairness to Dolly and the Chicken Ranch they did have a rather diverse roaster of girls. No matter what your interest or preference was in women was there was at least one there that matched it. Good on them.

 

Also, wasn't one of Dolly's rules "no tattoos" and the woman that says that rule has a very visible tattoo on her right shoulder?

[EvRobert 1684]

Was "I Will Always Love You" in the Broadway show? Dolly wrote the song so maybe she had a part in creating the show?

 

No, I Will Always Love You was written just for the movie. I haven't seen a stage show version, but it wouldn't surprise me if community theaters add it in.

 

ETA: I Will Always Love You wasn't for the movie, she reworked her 1974 version for the movie.

 

She also wrote Sneakin' Around for the movie, which isn't in the stage version. In fact as far as i can tell Ed Earl doesn't have a song in the stage show.

[PollyDarton 1807]

I mean in fairness to Dolly and the Chicken Ranch they did have a rather diverse roaster of girls.

 

Since they are at the Chicken Ranch I can only hope this pun was on purpose

[EvRobert 1684]

I just realized that I love pineapple on pizza, licorice, and coconut which makes me the resident food weirdo. At least I'm not that crazy person who had raisins in coleslaw... right... that's just... weird... *sigh*

 

Who here doesn't like coconut? coconut is the best.

[EvRobert 1684]

And since we're talking about I Will Always Love You

 

This video was released almost a year ago and features several modern country artists with a few "classic" country artists doing a mash up of I Will Always Love You, Country roads (Take Me Home), & On The Road Again. It's interesting to hear some of the modern female singers interpert Dolly's song (and of course The Queen herself ends the song)

 

[grudlian. 4725]

 

Who here doesn't like coconut? coconut is the best.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

On the subject of different versions of Dolly songs and the like, the White Stripes version of "Jolene" first appeared as the B-side to the "Hello Operator" seven-inch, released in 2000. I became a huge fan of theirs after the release of their 'White Blood Cells' album in 2001, which contains their first hit single, "Fell in Love With a Girl." At 17 or 18, I was definitely not Cool Enough to have heard of them beforehand. I have been in unrepentant love with Jack White ever since. Albino hipster vinyl vampire? I AM INTO IT. Anyway, it was after that when I first encountered their version of "Jolene," in particular live versions of it. Maybe, at least for me, when they performed it on Conan? History and memory are fuzzy.

 

ANYWAYS, I was aware of the Dolly Parton original before I heard White Stripes version, but hearing their cover made me examine both it and the White Stripes in a new light. Dolly often tells the story of her growing up in abject poverty and seeing the local "lady of ill repute," with her done-up hair and fake nails and outlandish outfits, and thinking that she must be the epitome of beauty. Said woman was the object of ridicule for her ill-morals, but by the same people who showed disrespect to Parton and her family. Dolly then decided she would grow up to emulate the style of this woman, who, in her young, impoverished eyes, was the peak of glamor. And the titular Jolene, as described in the song (with "flaming locks of auburn hair" and "eyes of emerald green") is the exact physical opposite of Dolly. What was it like, for both the speaker in the song and for Dolly, to view her exact opposite as the woman with the power to take her beloved away? That, after everything she has accomplished, after all she has done to transform herself into a beautiful, successful woman, the woman who embodies everything she is not is the one who is going to take away everything she has? That psychological vulnerability and honesty is something most country artists lack, so for Dolly, to be so bare and honest and pure, even when spending her entire career in heavy makeup and a wig, was immensely compelling to me. Plus, it's just a great, sad song.

 

Hearing the White Stripes version also made me re-examine Jack White, his band, and how to interpret cover songs in general. As much artifice as the White Stripes imposed in their public image at the time, I was moved by how emotionally affected and affecting Jack White could be when performing a song by Dolly Parton, about a woman so different from him. Both versions taken into account, it's one of the most important songs in my musical development. Thank you Dolly. Thank you Jack.

[Cam Bert 8145]

 

Since they are at the Chicken Ranch I can only hope this pun was on purpose

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

 

I've known this song (Dolly's version) for a long time and I didn't realize it was from the stage show. I thought it was put in the movie as some Dolly filler similar to I will always love you, but alas it was indeed written by Carol Hall for Whorehouse. Dolly's version plays a lot around here during Christmas so I've also mostly known it in that context.. that it's a Christmas song. Because of this I have always thought the song was about being alone on Christmas - possibly heartbroken or just away from home and family. "I'm barely getting through tomorrow" - tomorrow being Christmas day. Because of this (mis)conception I also took all the lines about dyeing hair and sleeping late to be ways to cope with being by yourself on Christmas. Dolly is a country girl with a BIG FUCKING COUNTRY FAMILY so in my mind I always pictured Dolly, a sweet southern soul without the ones she loves on the biggest family holiday of the year. Hard-mother-fucking-candy Christmas.

 

Ok, I'm with you so far...

 

But then I saw The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and I realized that it is just about whores not getting to whore-it in the whorehouse anymore.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I had two conspiracy theories, both debunked by Wikipedia (Darn it!)

 

1) The ZZ Top song "La Grange" came out in 1973. Zindler started his campaign and shut the Chicken Ranch in July-August 1973. Coincidence? Did they learn about the Chicken Ranch from the song? (EDITOR: Wikipedia says No. The Ranch was surveilled in December 1972 and the process started from there. It was the pushback the state authorities got from the local boys -- authentic in the movie -- that led them to contact Zindler to try and use his influence. It was in Wikipedia so you KNOW it's true!)

 

2) In the movie maybe it was Deputy Fred who contacted Melvin P. Thorpe to crusade against the Ranch. In the end he seems to have gotten the job of sheriff. He got tired of driving out to the ranch all the time to get the sheriff for bigger issues and not getting the respect he felt he deseved. (EDITOR: Not really. In real life the sheriff had a direct phone line installed so he didn't have to keep driving out to the ranch. His predecessor had gone over every evening to hear if people had boasted of crimes and to help keep the peace.)

[PollyDarton 1807]

That psychological vulnerability and honesty is something most country artists lack, so for Dolly, to be so bare and honest and pure, even when spending her entire career in heavy makeup and a wig, was immensely compelling to me. Plus, it's just a great, sad song.

 

Both versions taken into account, it's one of the most important songs in my musical development. Thank you Dolly. Thank you Jack.

 

Here! Here! Beautifully said.

 

If you've never heard the slowed Dolly version give it a listen. It's really interesting.

 

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

Here! Here! Beautifully said.

 

If you've never heard the slowed Dolly version give it a listen. It's really interesting.

 

Thank you! And yes, I have heard that slowed-down version. An intriguing bit of audio engineering, indeed.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Here! Here! Beautifully said.

 

If you've never heard the slowed Dolly version give it a listen. It's really interesting.

 

 

Thank you! And yes, I have heard that slowed-down version. An intriguing bit of audio engineering, indeed.

 

I hadn't heard the slowed-down version nor was I really familiar with the song. I've since listened to the song repeatedly. The description given earlier made it come alive. Well done all! (I also listened to Miley's version. She could have really become known for her singing. She's got a great voice.)

[tomspanks 9039]

I mean in fairness to Dolly and the Chicken Ranch they did have a rather diverse roaster of girls. No matter what your interest or preference was in women was there was at least one there that matched it. Good on them.

 

Agree about the diverse roaster at the chicken ranch, but I was surprised there was only one black guy on the football team?

 

 

Here! Here! Beautifully said.

 

If you've never heard the slowed Dolly version give it a listen. It's really interesting.

 

 

Whoa, trippy.

[tomspanks 9039]

And since we're talking about I Will Always Love You

 

This video was released almost a year ago and features several modern country artists with a few "classic" country artists doing a mash up of I Will Always Love You, Country roads (Take Me Home), & On The Road Again. It's interesting to hear some of the modern female singers interpert Dolly's song (and of course The Queen herself ends the song)

 

Hootie!

ETA: I didn't know Darius Rucker found success on the country charts.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

 

Hootie!

ETA: I didn't know Darius Rucker found success on the country charts.

 

Yeah! I'm not a huge country fan, but I do have two of his songs ("Wagon Wheel" and "Radio")

[Cam Bert 8145]

 

Hootie!

ETA: I didn't know Darius Rucker found success on the country charts.

Isn't he from the south or something like that?

[PollyDarton 1807]

So it may be time that I bring up my dad's conspiracy theory about Dolly... well it's not his theory just one he seems to believe.

He claims that Dolly is a lesbian who has a sham marriage with her husband Carl Dean and that Dolly has been in a long term relationship with a woman named Judy Ogle for most of her life. There used to be some credence to this because there were almost no photographs with Dolly and her husband in circulation and he was known to - conveniently -not want anything to do with her celebrity life. In the past few years there have been a lot of photos of Dolly and Carl that have been published, but my dad is not convinced.

 

I really don't give a fuck either way. I think Dolly is a strong, successful woman and those types of women often get the "lesbian mantel" bestowed upon them whether it's true or not (as if it's some kind of insult?), but BUT BUT - I will say this. Dolly's book "My Life and Other Unfinished business"'s Thank You page does not list Carl Dean or mention him at all... it does however Thank Judy and And AND Dolly's made for TV "Coat of many colors" that came out last year is basically a love letter to meeting Judy when she was a child.

 

Here's Dolly and Carl.

 

Here's Dolly and Judy:

 

My dad is also kind of "drinker." So... you know...

[The_Triple_Lindy 2482]

So it may be time that I bring up my dad's conspiracy theory about Dolly... well it's not his theory just one he seems to believe.

He claims that Dolly is a lesbian who has a sham marriage with her husband Carl Dean and that Dolly has been in a long term relationship with a woman named Judy Ogle for most of her life. There used to be some credence to this because there were almost no photographs with Dolly and her husband in circulation and he was known to - conveniently -not want anything to do with her celebrity life. In the past few years there have been a lot of photos of Dolly and Carl that have been published, but my dad is not convinced.

 

I really don't give a fuck either way. I think Dolly is a strong, successful woman and those types of women often get the "lesbian mantel" bestowed upon them whether it's true or not (as if it's some kind of insult?), but BUT BUT - I will say this. Dolly's book "My Life and Other Unfinished business"'s Thank You page does not list Carl Dean or mention him at all... it does however Thank Judy and And AND Dolly's made for TV "Coat of many colors" that came out last year is basically a love letter to meeting Judy when she was a child.

 

This kinda rings a bell. Watching the movie made me remember how my grandmother used to always buy the National Inquirer, and Dolly Parton was always in there. It was usually about her plastic surgery, but they might've mentioned that.

 

But there are not many successful, famous, badass women who haven't had the "she's probably a lesbian" thing thrown at them. Plus, the idea of a guy from the mountains not wanting anything to do with fame and Hollywood isn't beyond my comprehension.

[Cam Bert 8145]

So it may be time that I bring up my dad's conspiracy theory about Dolly... well it's not his theory just one he seems to believe.

He claims that Dolly is a lesbian who has a sham marriage with her husband Carl Dean and that Dolly has been in a long term relationship with a woman named Judy Ogle for most of her life. There used to be some credence to this because there were almost no photographs with Dolly and her husband in circulation and he was known to - conveniently -not want anything to do with her celebrity life. In the past few years there have been a lot of photos of Dolly and Carl that have been published, but my dad is not convinced.

 

I really don't give a fuck either way. I think Dolly is a strong, successful woman and those types of women often get the "lesbian mantel" bestowed upon them whether it's true or not (as if it's some kind of insult?), but BUT BUT - I will say this. Dolly's book "My Life and Other Unfinished business"'s Thank You page does not list Carl Dean or mention him at all... it does however Thank Judy and And AND Dolly's made for TV "Coat of many colors" that came out last year is basically a love letter to meeting Judy when she was a child.

This is actually not the first time I have heard this. I think I heard it in connection to the long running conspiracy theory about Gail and Oprah.

 

Like you said it could be just thrown out because they are successful people in their industry but I think it's another weird thing the public has with what they see. There is an expectation for people to be married and out and seen together. If they're married and not together, they must be having problems or secretly closeted or something. It could always just be that their partner doesn't like living in the public eye. Either case it shouldn't and doesn't really effect who they are and what they've accomplished.

[EvRobert 1684]

Yeah! I'm not a huge country fan, but I do have two of his songs ("Wagon Wheel" and "Radio")

 

Wagon Wheel is also a cover, there is a better version of that song by a group called Old Crow Medicine Show

 

[EvRobert 1684]

Huh, I've never heard the "Dolly is a lesbian" thing before, but I could see WHY it would get said, for all the reasons mentioned above.

 

Wasn't that Coat of Many Colors a "Christian" movie? (if it is, I'm surprised the guys over at God Awful Movies haven't done it yet.) That's an interesting dichotomy if she ever does come out and is true.

[tomspanks 9039]

Isn't he from the south or something like that?

 

I looked it up and yes, he is! He's from Charleston, South Carolina. I didn't know that during his Hootie days.

 

So it may be time that I bring up my dad's conspiracy theory about Dolly... well it's not his theory just one he seems to believe.

 

Is he sure that it wasn't...

 

 

 

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Is he sure that it wasn't...

 

 

 

I'm so happy that I get back from France and the conversation is back on aliens. Y'all made me so proud!