This story was originally published byGrist.
In the video for her new song, World On Fire, Dolly Parton sits atop a burning world.
Fire, fire burning higher
Still got time to turn it all around.
Dolly Parton performs at the 58th Academy Of Country Music Awards at The Ford Center at The Star on May 11, 2023 in Frisco, Texas.Photo: Theo Wargo (Getty Images)
Dolly is an expert at this.
Dolly walks a narrow bridge.
The host, marveling at the breadth of the audience, called her The great unifier.
Shes acknowledged, for instance, the role of the LGBT community in inspiring her stage persona.
Yet when Tennessee banned public drag performances, she kept quiet.
Parton insisted the original name was chosen out of innocent ignorance.
(This move diddividesome fans.)
Even when she does speak out, Dolly never points fingers.
Her message is often softly wrapped in statements about love and kindness.
Oh, can we rise above?
Cant we show some love?
she asks in World on Fire.
In interviews, Dolly has certainly expressed support for environmental causes, in her down-home oratory style.
Were just mistreating Mother Nature, shetold National Geographic last year.Thats like being ugly to your mama.
But some caution against viewing her as an activist.
Many East Tennesseeans see Dolly as a businesswoman and entertainer rather than a political figure.
She helped draw national attention to the fires, and sympathy for its victims.
Its been the ruination of the Smoky Mountains, Wilkerson said bluntly.
This article originally appeared inGristathttps://grist.org/article/dolly-partons-new-song-is-a-climate-anthem-if-you-want-it-to-be/.
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
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