By her standards, Dolly Parton was unproductive in the 2000s, releasing just five studio albums.
She followed up her bluegrass trilogy with a pair of albums that approached American politics from two different directions. In 2003, For God and Country was a collection of patriotic songs (some traditional, some original) recorded as a response to the September 11 terror attacks. Two years later, Those Were the Day featured covers of 60s and 70s folk songs, most of them anti-war anthems.
Was Dolly rethinking her instinct to wrap herself in the American flag once we were engaged in a war with Iraq? Or simply offering up two sides of a complicated American coin?
One of the great things about Dolly Parton is that neither of these albums seems calculated. Her heart swelled with patriotic pride in the aftermath of 9/11, but it hurt when she saw the path that set us on. I think a lot of us can relate.
Her final album of the 00s was Backwoods Barbie, a well-received collection that split the difference between her scaled-back bluegrass albums and the pop excess of her 80s and 90s work.
Dolly kicked off the new decade with 2011’s Better Day, a collection entirely written by her (though four of the songs were re-recordings of songs she wrote for a 9 to 5 musical in the 80s). She said the album was inspired by a series of upsetting world events and her desire to deliver some positivity.
Better Day is certainly a positive album, and coming from anybody else might seem eye-rollingly so. But it’s hard to not be charmed by Dolly Parton’s relentless optimism, even if the record is a bit over-the-top lyrically and musically.
You know people been talking about the end of time ever since time began
We’ve been living in the last days ever since the first day ever since the dawn of Man
Well nobody knows when the end is coming but some people tell you they do
Well it might be today, it might be tomorrow, or in a million years or two
In the meantime, in between time, let us make time to make it right
And let us not fear what is not clear; faith should be your guide, just follow this advice
[Verse 1]
And
Think about love; Think about living
Think about love sharing and giving
Drop the Doomsday attitude and let the spirit flow
These are wonderful times we’re living in
God still walks in the hearts of Men
And Eden’s garden waves within so let the flowers grow
[Verse 2]
Well we rant and we rave about the “good old days” and how different it was “back then”
Well the greatest days we’ve ever known are the days we’re living in
Well we worry about earthquakes, aliens from outer space, nuclear holocaust
Well we’re so consumed with the fear of dying; the joy of living is lost
In the meantime, in between time, let us make time to make amends
Lead the good life, just treat this planet right and try to all be friends and say with me again
[Verse 3]
Ohhh!
Think about life; Think about living
Think about love – caring and giving
Drop this Doomsday attitude and get on with the show
We’ve walked on the moon; been to Mars
Technically we’ve come so far
But still we wonder who we are
The farther along we go
(Doodle-doodle doo-doo-doo… ooh-ooh)
[Chorus]
You know people been talking about the end of time ever since time began
We’ve been living in the last days ever since the first day ever since the dawn of Man
Well nobody knows when the end is coming—well that’s what the Scriptures say
But that’s a secret known only to God, he says to just watch and pray
[Outro]
In the meantime, what’s the hurry?
In the meantime now don’t you worry
In the meantime live, laugh- be merry
In the meantime, in the meantime
In the meantime troubles going to show us
In the meantime the sky is still above us
In the meantime you know God’s going to love us
In the meantime, in the meantime, in the meantime
