Dolly Parton names the song she’s most proud of writing — and her answer may come as a surprise

Throughout her decades-long career, Parton has seen 25 of her songs reach No. 1 on the ‘Billboard’ Hot Country Songs chart

Throughout her decades-long career Dolly Parton has seen 25 of her songs reach number 1 on the chart Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, but one in particular is the most personal to her.

In a new interview with The Guardianthe legendary singer-songwriter, 78, was asked to name the song from her catalog she is most proud of, and the answer may come as a surprise.

“Well, I’m proud of them all,” Parton said. “I think the most personal one for me is the little ‘Coat of Many Colors’ because it’s about my mother and my parents, and gives you a kind of insight. It’s also about bullying, acceptance and all that.”

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“Coat of Many Colors” was released in September 1971, and she has spoken about writing the song about how her mother made a coat from rags that she could wear as a child.

Of course, Parton loves the many songs she has written. “The most recorded version is of course ‘Jolene’. That seems to be the favorite,” she said. “Do you know that song has been recorded, someone told me, 450 times in the last 52 years? I’m so proud of it.”

The Grammy winner added, “And ‘I Will Always Love You’ is one of the great love songs, so I’m very proud of that too.”

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Elsewhere in the interview, Parton set the record straight regarding the rumor that she wrote “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” on the same day.

“I don’t know if I wrote them on the same day,” she said, “but they were found on the same cassette, so I wrote them during that period.”

Parton also opened up about the future of her career and why she “can’t retire.”

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“I always say I dreamed myself into a corner. I have to keep all those dreams alive. Every dream leads to something else,” she said.

“It’s misinformation when I said I wasn’t touring anymore. I’m still doing shows,” Parton added. “I just don’t go on the full tours where I go abroad for weeks at a time. I’m older, my husband is older, and I want to be with him more. So no. I couldn’t retire if I wanted to and that I don’t want to.”