Dolly Parton Will Sing About Suicide, Traumatic Birth, & Poverty, But She Won’t Curse

"Now, I don't cuss. I don't make fun of Jesus. I don't talk bad about God, and I don't say dirty words, on camera," Parton said of her recent collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter. 

By Audra Heinrichs  |  April 1, 2025 | 4:38pm
CelebritiesEntertainmentMisc. GossMusic
Dolly Parton Will Sing About Suicide, Traumatic Birth, & Poverty, But She Won’t Curse

Since the February release of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” featuring Dolly Parton, I’ve wondered why we were all robbed of the resplendent experience that would’ve surely been hearing the country music icon sing the word “motherfucker.” I mean, can you imagine? Instead, we were robbed worse than Barry Keoghan’s character in the music video, which says a lot considering he’s tied up in the back of their trunk.

Since then, we haven’t gotten many details of Parton’s collaboration with Carpenter, especially why Carpenter changed the original lyrics of the song. Fortunately, we finally got some answers. According to Parton, she had some stipulations for Carpenter before agreeing to do the song.

“Of course, she can talk a little bad now and then,” Parton said in a recent interview with Knox News. “I told her, I said, ‘Now, I don’t cuss. I don’t make fun of Jesus. I don’t talk bad about God, and I don’t say dirty words, on camera, but known to if I get mad enough.'” Would anyone else buy some “I don’t make fun of Jesus” merch? I’m not religious, I just think it would be funny.

Now, it you haven’t heard the song, the PG, Parton-approved version of “Please Please Please” goes: “I beg you, don’t embarrass me like the others, oh, please, please, please,” as opposed to the original, more stern warning of: “I beg you, don’t embarrass me, motherfucker.” Oh, what could’ve been!

As the unofficial president of Parton’s fan club, there’s something so perfect about the fact that in her 60 year+ career, she’s written songs about a teenage girl’s tragic suicide, traumatic pregnancy, and how poverty impacts children, but she draws the line at “making fun of Jesus” and singing “motherfucker” (even when she didn’t technically write it). How an artist who’s written many songs about cheating spouses and the plight of the working class doesn’t require at least one curse word to properly articulate her frustrations is a testament to her talent.

If only the version lived up to the hype…

 
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