meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Dolly Parton's America

Tennessee Mountain Trance

Dolly Parton's America

WNYC Studios & OSM Audio

Music History, Nashville, Music, Tennessee, Society & Culture, Parton, Documentary, America, Dolly

4.617.5K Ratings

🗓️ 29 October 2019

⏱️ 40 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We journey into the Dollyverse dimension: "Tennessee Mountain Home."Like all law abiding Tennesseans, Jad grew up with the song on a loop. He hadn’t planned to talk with Dolly about it, but much to his surprise, he is drawn into a Tennessee Mountain Trance. The trance opens a portal to many questions about country music, authenticity, nostalgia and belonging. And to a place called Dollywood. We visit the replica of Dolly’s childhood cabin and find thousands of other pilgrims similarly entranced. Along the way, we meet Wandee Pryor, who lived in a Dolly dreamworld as a girl. And also, halfway around the world, Esther Konkara, the self-proclaimed “Kenyan Dolly Parton,” who sings "Tennessee Mountain Home" as an ode to the hills of Nairobi - hills she has not yet left. The Tennessee Mountain home begins to seem like part of a Disney fairytale.But then, Jad and Shima get a call from Dolly’s nephew and head of security Bryan Seaver, who makes an irresistible offer.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is Dolly Barton's America, I'm Chad Abumrod,

0:02.4

where at the third of nine trips into the Dollyverse,

0:04.4

this episode and the next,

0:07.4

this is where Dolly's story got kind of personal for me.

0:11.8

These two episodes are about a song

0:14.0

that really sort of hung over my childhood, like a mist.

0:17.2

Sitting on the front porch on a summer afternoon

0:24.0

in a straight back chair on two legs

0:27.8

leaned against the wall.

0:32.9

What's the kid to play in

0:35.3

wadging bugs on the string

0:38.2

and chase the glow and fireflies

0:41.0

when evening shadows fall?

0:45.6

In my Tennessee mountain home

0:51.1

life is as peaceful as a baby's side.

0:55.9

I feel like this song was always playing in Tennessee.

1:02.9

I remember once being sung at a football game

1:05.4

could be wrong, but certainly rocky top.

1:08.5

You'll hear 100,000 people singing it.

1:15.7

And I'll be totally up front.

1:19.1

You know, as the scrawny shy Arab kid

1:23.0

that hit high school during Gulf War I,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from WNYC Studios & OSM Audio, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of WNYC Studios & OSM Audio and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.