Dolly Parton

Released: April 2, 1973

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Producer: Bob Ferguson

Well I remember when I was just little
Mama used to cook in an old black kettle
On an old wood stove she'd had since she was wed
Well the oven door was sprung a little bit
So we propped it up with a fork and stick
But that didn't matter 'cause Mama kept us fed
My Mama and Daddy must have loved each other
'Cause I had eleven sisters and brothers
And the girls worked just as hard as the boys did
There was corn to hoe then we'd go hoe it
We might have been poor but we didn't know it
We'd heard that word but we didn't know what it meant

Oh we used to have such a good life
And the days that I knew then are the happiest I've known
And oh didn't we have such a good time?
It's sad to think the old black kettle's gone

Well there was nothing that pleased us any better
Than when we got an occasional letter
From kin folks livin' up north in some big town
We'd think of all the games we'd play
And we just couldn't hardly wait
When our city cousins said they was a-comin' down
Now Mama's done away with the old black kettle
She used to cook in when I was just little
And the door ain't sprung on her electric range
That little farm and home we had
It ain't there no more and that's too bad
Folks are doin' away with the simple things

And oh we used to have such a good life
And the days that I knew then are the happiest I've known
And oh didn't we have such a good time?
It's sad to think the old black kettle's gone

Now, I just mean to say the simple things are gone
The old black kettle's gone

Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, author, and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music

Beginning her career as a child performer, Parton issued a few modestly successful singles from 1959 through the mid-1960s, showcasing her distinctive soprano voice. She came to greater prominence in 1967 as a featured performer on singer Porter Wagoner’s weekly television program; their first duet single, a cover of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind”, was a top-ten hit on the country singles charts, and led to several successful albums before they ended their partnership in 1974. Moving towards mainstream pop music, Parton’s 1977 single “Here You Come Again” was a success on both the country and pop charts. A string of pop-country hits followed into the mid-1980s, the most successful being her 1981 hit 9 to 5" (from the film of the same name), and her 1983 duet with Kenny Rogers “Islands in the Stream”, both of which topped the U.S. pop and country singles charts. A pair of albums recorded with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris were among her later successes. In the late 1990s, Parton returned to classic country/bluegrass with a series of acclaimed recordings

more tracks from the album

My Tennessee Mountain Home

From the album

My Tennessee Mountain Home (1973)

Dolly Parton popular songs

Old Black KettleDolly Parton

Dolly Parton

My Tennessee Mountain Home