Dolly Parton passed away recently, and if you’ve been online since, you’ve probably seen her quotes everywhere. There’s a reason for that.
Dolly Parton quotes sound like a woman who actually said what she meant. And her wisdom is powerful. There’s lots of truth in it, if you ask me.
I’ve put together over 50+ Dolly quotes and sorted them by different categories. You’ll definitely find great sayings that will change your life.
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Dolly Parton quotes on staying true to yourself
These are the quotes you should read when someone is trying to talk you out of being yourself.
Dolly Parton built an entire career on refusing to shrink. Be like her.
- “Find out who you are. And do it on purpose.” – Dolly Parton
- “I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.” – Dolly Parton
- “I don’t like to be like everybody else. I’ve often made the statement that I would never stoop so low as to be fashionable. That’s the easiest thing in the world to do.” – Dolly Parton
- “I’m very real where it counts, and that’s inside.” – Dolly Parton
- “I’m comfortable in my own skin, no matter how far it’s stretched.” – Dolly Parton
- “I try to see the good in everybody, and I don’t care who people are as long as they’re themselves, whatever that is.” – Dolly Parton
- “It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world.” – Dolly Parton
If you know a friend who’s a Dolly Parton fan, then you’ll love to give them this book with Dolly’s photos and quotes.
Dolly Parton quotes on life and chasing your dreams
- “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” – Dolly Parton
- “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” – Dolly Parton
- “You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.” – Dolly Parton
- “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton
- “A lot of dreams can turn to nightmares if you don’t really work them.” – Dolly Parton
- “Storms make trees take deeper roots.” – Dolly Parton
- “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” – Dolly Parton
- “Adjusting to the passage of time, I think, is a key to success and to life, just being able to roll with the punches.” – Dolly Parton
- “Nothing’s ever easy. If it is, it ain’t worth it.” – Dolly Parton
- “I refuse to settle for something less than great.” – Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton quotes on mistakes, failure, and second chances
- “I haven’t made any mistakes. I try to look at my life as a series of events, and what other people would call a mistake, I wouldn’t.” – Dolly Parton
- “Sometimes, what would look like to be my biggest mistakes turn out to be my biggest blessings.” – Dolly Parton
- “I thank God for my failures. Maybe not at the time but after some reflection. I never feel like a failure just because something I tried has failed.” – Dolly Parton
I think we all need to read these quotes 100 times per day 😝
Dolly Parton quotes on kindness, faith, and gratitude
- “You can be rich in spirit, kindness, love and all those things that you can’t put a dollar sign on.” – Dolly Parton
- “If you see someone without a smile, give them yours.” – Dolly Parton
- “I make a point to appreciate all the little things in my life. I go out and smell the air after a good, hard rain. I re-read passages from my favorite books. I hold the little treasures that somebody special gave me.” – Dolly Parton
- “We’re all just a bunch of sinners, but we do the best we can.” – Dolly Parton
- “I feel that sin and evil are the negative part of you, and I think it’s like a battery, you’ve got to have the negative and the positive in order to be a complete person.” – Dolly Parton
- “For some reason, I have better luck when I work with women. I guess I have a good sense of sisterhood.” – Dolly Parton
If you’re Dolly’s fan and want to decorate your room with something that will remind you of her, then check out this “What would Dolly do?” wood sign.
Dolly Parton quotes on beauty and confidence
- “I’m no natural beauty. If I’m gonna have any looks at all, I’m gonna have to create them.” – Dolly Parton
- “If I see something sagging, bagging or dragging, I’ll get it nipped, tucked or sucked.” – Dolly Parton
- “You know, I look like a woman but I think like a man. And in this world of business, that has helped me a lot.” – Dolly Parton
- “My weaknesses have always been food and men, in that order.” – Dolly Parton
Funny Dolly Parton quotes
- “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.” – Dolly Parton
- “You’d be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap.” – Dolly Parton
- “I was the first woman to burn my bra. It took the fire department four days to put it out.” – Dolly Parton
- “The secret to a long marriage is to stay gone.” – Dolly Parton
- “I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb, and I also know that I’m not blonde.” – Dolly Parton
- “People say I look so happy, and I say, ‘That’s the Botox.'” – Dolly Parton
- “I tried every diet in the book. I tried some that weren’t in the book. I tried eating the book. It tasted better than most of the diets.” – Dolly Parton
- “If I hadn’t been a woman, I’d be a drag queen for sure.” – Dolly Parton
- “I don’t kiss nobody’s butt.” – Dolly Parton
- “There’s nothing like white trash at the White House.” – Dolly Parton
- “You don’t see too many atheists on the deathbed. They all start cramming then.” – Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton quotes on success, work, and leaving a legacy
Dolly Parton built a music career, a theme park, a book charity, and a business empire, and she still talked about work like it meant something bigger than a paycheck. Well, I totally agree with her.
- “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader.” – Dolly Parton
- “When I’m done, I can rest in peace knowing I’ve done my best. I hope that when my time comes, I’ll leave something behind that others can use to lift themselves up.” – Dolly Parton
- “My songs are like my children, I expect them to support me when I’m old.” – Dolly Parton
- “I always had something inside me that believed I had something important to do. I didn’t know exactly what that was.” – Dolly Parton
- “Above everything else I’ve done, I’ve always said I’ve got more guts than I’ve got talent.” – Dolly Parton
- “Energy begets energy.” – Dolly Parton
- “Being a star just means that you just find your own special place, and that you shine where you are.” – Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton quotes on staying young at heart
- “I ain’t never gonna be old because I ain’t got time to be old. I can’t stop long enough to grow old. I’m just gonna be the best I can be at whatever age I am.” – Dolly Parton
- “I want to go and go, and then drop dead in the middle of something I’m loving to do. And if that doesn’t happen, if I wind up sitting in a wheelchair, at least I’ll have my high heels on.” – Dolly Parton
- “I feel blessed that I still have the little Dolly in my heart. I’m still the same girl that wants to squeeze every little drop out of life that I can.” – Dolly Parton
If you’re her fan, you’ll love this Dolly Parton 2027 calendar.
Why Dolly Parton quotes matter
Dolly’s quotes are so powerful because she never tried to sound smart. She just said the truth and expressed her beliefs.
I love that combination of the wisdom and the wit. That’s why people love her sayings.
If you want to inspire others, take one (or more) of her quotes and use them everywhere – social media, send a text to a friend, or write them in your journal.
