Happy 45th Anniversary to Dolly Parton’s fifteenth solo studio album The Bargain Store, originally released February 17, 1975.
Dolly Parton is an enigma. On one hand, she appears to wear her heart on her sleeve, writing songs that allow the world a glimpse into the love and sorrow that seems so prevalent within country music. Her image is famously based off of the town “floozy”—she’s bold, brash, glitzy and out there for all to see. It’s easy to think that you truly know Dolly Parton, the larger-than-life “Queen of Country,” but in reality, as many of her friends will attest, Ms. Parton is in fact quite a private person and in many ways, mysterious.
I grew up on country music and none more so than Ms. Dolly Parton. My mum, a massive fan, would never miss an opportunity to pop a cassette of Dolly’s in our old beige Kingswood. Hot Australian summers spent driving to the beach, windows down, Mum singing at the top of her lungs, as my brother and I giggled at both her singing and the lyrics we had no understanding of. One thing we were both aware of, though, was the fact that Parton’s music, no matter the time, place or circumstance, seemed to invoke a happiness in our mum that not much else could at that time. The power of music, huh?
1975 was a notable year on many levels. Smack bang in the heart of the disco era, the musical The Wiz, then just a few months old, moved from Baltimore to New York’s Majestic Theatre on Broadway, John Lennon & Yoko Ono became parents to baby Sean, and Parton released her fifteenth 5th studio album, The Bargain Store.
Straight off the back of a slew of number one hits on the country charts and Parton was on the tip of everyone’s tongues. Sadly though, the album’s much misinterpreted title track was immediately banned by numerous radio stations for its perceived sexual content. In fact, the song was a metaphor about an experienced woman still looking for love and that her love was just as valuable as anyone else’s. Needless to say that the controversy surrounding “The Bargain Store” only served to increase sales and secure the number one spot for the album on the country charts.
This wasn’t the first time that Parton had found herself in hot waters over misunderstood lyrics. A few years prior to The Bargain Store’s release, Parton’s “Touch Your Woman” was banned due its then-considered risqué content (a woman asking her man to make more effort in bed), something that wouldn’t even be noticed in this day and age. The Bargain Store seemed to be a continuation for the then 29-year-old Parton as she fearlessly broke down the barriers surrounding women speaking on sexuality in the country music scene.
Parton’s appearance has been a remarkable topic of conversation for her entire career. A country Barbie doll dipped in hairspray, glitter and rhinestones, coupled with an exaggerated figure has left many lusting after her and others wanting to be just like her. One thing that Parton has been able to surprise people with through their obsession over her appearance is her incredible savviness when it comes to business and of course, those world famous, legendary songs.
Listen to the album’s second track “Kentucky Gambler” and you are reminded that through her music, Parton places herself as the one in control. Parton’s man gambles the family’s savings away, only to return home to find his wife with a new man, leaving the blame firmly at his feet. Whilst Parton’s songs speak all too often of heartbreak and loss, she manages to position herself as anything but the victim, rather the victor.
As is the case with most of Parton’s albums, she wrote eight of the ten tracks on this album, with the exceptions being “On My Mind Again” written by longtime friend and mentor Porter Wagoner and a cover of Merle Haggard’s “You’ll Always Be Special To Me.” Haggard later repaid Parton the favor of covering “Kentucky Gambler” later that same year.
The Bargain Store is an incredibly beautiful album and only gets richer in its depth with each extra play. On “When I’m Gone,” with its upbeat banjo strumming away, she calls out her distant and weak husband for leaving. Parton isn’t afraid to call out men for their bad behavior, but she’s equally as comfortable extending her hand as a form of strength and stability for her man on “The Only Hand You’ll Need To Hold.” Parton has never likened herself to feminist ideals, but her music, whilst not assuming this label, is very clearly rooted in women feeling empowered whether it be through their vulnerability or strength.
As an adult revisiting this album, I find myself even more in awe of Parton’s capacity for storytelling. Whether it’s her ability to subtly discuss the idea of infidelity on “He Would Know” or the unabashedly “I Want To Be What You Need” where she owns her sexuality and wants her man to do the same, Parton speaks her truth. Maybe it’s the album’s closing track “I’ll Never Forget,” a folky love song dedicated to the one who got away, that reminds the listener that through all these ups and downs, Parton is just as vulnerable to a broken heart as the rest of us.
Forty-five years later and very few can hold a flame to Dolly Parton’s canon of work.The Bargain Store is a prime example of this. It’s one of those rare albums that somehow gets better and better upon each fresh listen.
LISTEN: