Dolly Parton on running for President: “We’ve had enough boobs in the White House”
Dolly Parton has shared that she has no interest in becoming the next US President, claiming that there have already been “enough boobs in the White House”.
The country music icon spoke about the prospect of getting into politics in a new interview with Metro, where she was promoting the upcoming release of her star-studded 49th studio album, ‘Rockstar’.
Here, she was asked about the new track ‘World On Fire’ – which sees her reveal her frustration at lying politicians and at the general state of politics across the US – and whether a ‘Dolly For President’ movement would help get things back on track.
“No. I don’t think anybody could actually do a great job at that. I think we’ve had enough ‘boobs’ in the White House,” she said.
“I would have no interest in politics. I try to do my thing through my songs, through the way I accept people and the way I try to make a difference. I’m not smart enough to be in politics, or maybe I’m too smart.”
Parton added: “Either way, I’m not qualified for that type of a job. But I’m pretty qualified to do what I do, which is to point people in the right direction, to write about it in songs or speak about things.”
Although the artist has famously made a rule of not discussing politics in the past, the track saw her take a new stance following its release earlier this year.
“Don’t get me started on politics / Now how are we to live in a world like this / Greedy politicians, present and past / They wouldn’t know the truth if it bit ’em in the ass,” she sings. She also defended her stance in an interview on The Today Show back in May, when she claimed she doesn’t think “any of them [in government] are trying hard enough… They worry more about their party than they do about the people.”
She also famously twice declined the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump during his time in office, and earlier this year turned it down once again following the same invitation from current President Joe Biden.
Elsewhere in the recent discussion with Metro, Parton recalled how she has been overlooked as a songwriter due to her image. “Especially in the early days, people were trying to change me. But I think everybody has to feel comfortable in how they look. I knew that if I was as good as I hoped and believed that I was, my talent would win out over my looks,” she said.
“I hardly ever listened to anybody if it went against what I believed about myself or what my true beliefs are. I hear them but I don’t listen. I’m not an educated person – I just got a High School education. But I know what’s right for me. I know how to handle my stuff.”
‘Rockstar’ is out tomorrow (November 17) and is a 30-track compilation of new songs and covers of classics like Heart‘s ‘Magic Man’, Prince‘s ‘Purple Rain’, The Rolling Stones‘ ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ and more.
The track list also features 40 guest stars including legends like Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting, Debbie Harry, Steve Perry, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and more. NME also praised the upcoming album as “bursting with [the same] life and positivity as the woman who made it.”
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Liberty Dunworth
NME
