Dolly Parton’s "Silver and Gold": A Final Lesson from the Queen of Country

This morning, as I laced up my shoes and headed out for my daily walk, the world felt a little heavier following the news of Dolly Parton’s passing. I turned on the SiriusXM tribute channel, expecting to hear the familiar, upbeat rhythms of "9 to 5" or the heartbreaking story of "Jolene"—songs I’ve heard and enjoyed thousands of times. Instead, the very first track that came through my headphones was a lesser-known 1991 song called "Silver and Gold"—a song I have no recollection of ever hearing before.

I walked the trail, listening to her voice, and the timing of it hit me because of its simple, undeniable truthfulness.

Though written by Carl Perkins and his sons, Dolly took complete ownership of the song the moment she sang it. The track tells a moving story of a traveler who meets a ragged old man sitting on the street, holding a piece of paper. The old man warns the traveler about chasing wealth, reminding him that when the end of life comes, no bank account can purchase a single extra day.

"Silver and gold might buy you a home But things of this world, they won't last you long And time has a way of turning us old And time can't be bought back with silver and gold."

That humble interaction in the song highlights the deep humanity Dolly brought to everything she sang. She didn't grow up surrounded by silver and gold; she came from a tiny, one-room cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains, one of twelve children raised in deep poverty. She knew what it was like to have nothing, which made her relationship with fame and wealth entirely unique. While wealthy and successful, she was never ostentatious. She genuinely measured success by a different yardstick, once observing:

"I always count my blessings more than I count my money. You can be rich in spirit, kindness, and love—things you can't put a dollar sign on."

While the world saw a larger-than-life personality with a bright smile and endless wit, we rarely saw the full picture of her private struggles, pain, or personal heartbreaks. Dolly chose not to dwell on hardship publicly, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t struggle like the rest of us. Her music helped us see our own struggles in a more meaningful way, and her famous line in Steel Magnolias summed up her entire approach to life: "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion."

That philosophy deeply resonates with me. My wife often asks why I start laughing or cracking a joke when we’re discussing something serious or stressful. The answer is simple: humor isn't a way of ignoring life's problems; it's how I process them. It’s how we keep hard times from crushing us. Dolly understood that humor gives us the strength to face gravity, grief, and everything in between without losing our character.

Instead of letting life harden her, she deliberately focused on building strength of character, radiating warmth, and using her platform to lift others up—whether through her music or by gifting over 200 million books to children through her Imagination Library.

Dolly once famously said, "Find out who you are and do it on purpose."

For me, hearing "Silver and Gold" on the morning after her passing felt less like a goodbye and more like a reminder that her mission isn't finished. She understood that time is our only true non-renewable currency, but the love, character, and joy we leave behind don't die with us. Dolly lived her life with singular intention, and the purpose she taught us will continue to resonate for generations to come.