“Big Dreams and Faded Jeans”
Dolly Parton
Written by Dolly Parton
“Big Dreams and Faded Jeans” is part of a complementary project that Dolly Parton is releasing alongside her collaboration with James Patterson, a fictional novel called Run, Rose, Run.
It starts out pretty straightforward, just a guitar and a tambourine. Dolly comes in speaking about getting ready to chase dreams. The imagery Dolly sets is familiar to anyone who has ever set out to stretch their wings and pursue something they have always wanted. Fear, desire, uncertain of the future. The best line in the song is “My desire is greater than my fear”.
Dolly still excels at weaving stories, and this song is certainly no exception. The main character in the song then hitchhikes to Nashville, not caring how she gets there, just that she does. She hopes her dreams, intuition, and God will all guide her to realize all of her dreams.
This song is catchy, well written, and relatable. Even if you’re not going to Nashville to pursue music, the general message of the song will resonate with anyone who steps out of their comfort zone to experience new things and pursue their dreams.
Grade: A
Great song from Dolly. I have been a bit disappointed in some of her recent work but it’s nice to see her back to doing what she does best. Write relatable songs that somehow says what we need to hear. I also love the line about being “My desire is always greater than my fear”