Songs about faith ‘have brought me peace and restored my hope’ amid this great time of uncertainty, American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton has revealed.
The 9 To 5 country legend credited faith-based music as the antidote that has helped get her through the worrying times many people are facing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The revelation came as Parton, a Christian, announced the release of Mary, Did You Know? as the first single from her forthcoming Christmas album, A Holly Dolly Christmas.
‘In these uncertain times, songs of faith have brought me peace and restored my hope. Mary, Did You Know? is a reminder to us all year long that there is always hope even when you least expect it,’ Parton posted on Instagram.
With lyrics written by Mark Lowry in 1984 and music written by Buddy Greene in 1991, Mary, Did You Know? was originallyrecorded by Christian singer Michael English in 1991.
The track has since become a modern Christmas classic, with many artists providing their own cover versions, with some earning positions on various music charts.
Parton opened up about her faith last year, saying that she feels she is “in a position to help”.
“People look at me like someone they’ve always known, like a mother or sister. If I say something good, people might listen,” she told People Magazine.
Parton said she always felt as though God was “calling me into that” and that her music was more “ministry than a job”.
“I just feel that this day and time, we need more people that are in a position to help to try to do something, if they can, to brighten the world a little bit. That’s what I’m hoping to do now,” she said at the time, explaining her decision to perform Christian music.
“Whether you believe in God or not, we need to believe in something bigger and better than what’s going on because we’re not doing too hot. We need to try to do a little better.
“I’m not trying to tell anybody how to be,” Parton added. “I just say who I am and how I am. If there’s something you see in me that’s got a light, then I like to think that’s God’s light — not my light.
“In my faith, it bothers me sometimes when I see people worshiping the stars and all that. I’m like, ‘Oh Lord, don’t ever let me go there’. That’s why I want to ship that on up to God. I don’t need nobody worshiping me. If I do shine and radiate, I’d like to think that is God’s light and I’d like to pass that on. I want to direct people to Him, not me.”
Picture: Dolly Parton. (AdMedia/Zuma Press/PA).
