Studio Album · No. 32
For God and Country Songwriting Credits by Dolly Parton
CountryGospelPatriotic
39%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 7 of 18 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 7 / 18 documented
Who wrote the songs?
Scored across the 18 tracks with documented writers, by whether Dolly Parton carries a lyricist or composer credit.
7 trackswritten by Dolly Parton
11 tracksoutside writers
Dolly Parton's roles on this album
Share of the 18 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
Lyricist39%
Composer39%
Producer100%
Performer100%
By the Numbers
18
Tracks
12
Lyricists
3
Producers
Approximately 87,000 copies in the United States as of October 2005.
Worldwide Copies Sold
2003
Released
Data Insight
For God and Country pairs patriotic and gospel standards with a handful of Dolly Parton originals, all arranged in a country and bluegrass style. The bulk of the record is traditional and public-domain material, including "The Star Spangled Banner," "My Country 'Tis," "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," and "The Lord Is My Shepherd," alongside covers such as Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," Barry Sadler and Robin Moore's "Ballad of the Green Berets," and the Brown and Levine pop hit "Tie a Yellow Ribbon." Parton contributes new songs written for the project, among them "Welcome Home," "Brave Little Soldier," "Color Me America," and "Go to Hell," and revisits her own 1977 composition "Light of a Clear Blue Morning." She produced the album with Kent Wells and Tony Smith on her Blue Eye label.
Released November 11, 2003, this was Parton's fortieth solo studio album, conceived as her musical response to the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The album was produced by Dolly Parton, Kent Wells, and Tony Smith, with recording at Two Monkeys Productions in Nashville. The 18-track set blended traditional patriotic standards such as 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home' with Parton originals including 'Welcome Home,' 'Light of a Clear Blue Morning,' and 'Color Me America.' Musically the album drew on country, gospel, and patriotic idioms, with fiddle and mandolin from Jimmy Mattingly anchoring the arrangements. The album peaked at number 23 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, with USA Today noting it contained enough moving performances to erase any doubts about the sincerity of Parton's intent.
Track Listing & Credits 18 tracks
Written by the artist
Written by outside writers
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Lord Is My Shepherd
|
Traditional | Traditional | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
The Star Spangled Banner
|
Francis Scott Key | Francis Scott Key | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
God Bless the USA
|
Lee Greenwood | Lee Greenwood | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
Light of a Clear Blue Morning
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca PartonKent WellsTony Smith | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
|
Patrick Gilmore | Patrick Gilmore | Dolly Rebecca PartonKent WellsTony Smith | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Welcome Home
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
Gee, Ma, I Wanna Go Home
|
Traditional | Traditional | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Whispering Hope
|
Septimus Winner | Septimus Winner | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
There Will Be Peace in the Valley for Me
|
Thomas A. Dorsey | Thomas A. Dorsey | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
Red, White and Bluegrass
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 11 |
My Country ’Tis
|
Samuel Francis Smith | Samuel Francis Smith | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 12 |
I’m Gonna Miss You
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 13 |
Go to Hell
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 14 |
Ballad of the Green Beret
|
Robin MooreSSgt. Barry Sadler | Robin MooreSSgt. Barry Sadler | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 15 |
Brave Little Solider
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca PartonKent WellsTony Smith | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 16 |
Tie a Yellow Ribbon
|
Irwin LevineRussel Brown | Irwin LevineRussel Brown | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 17 |
Color Me America
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 18 |
The Glory Forever
|
Traditional | Traditional | Tony SmithKent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 15 contributors
DR
Dolly Rebecca Parton
Writer · Producer
T
Traditional
Writer
FS
Francis Scott Key
Writer
IL
Irwin Levine
Writer
LG
Lee Greenwood
Writer
PG
Patrick Gilmore
Writer
RM
Robin Moore
Writer
RB
Russel Brown
Writer
SF
Samuel Francis Smith
Writer
SW
Septimus Winner
Writer
SB
SSgt. Barry Sadler
Writer
TA
Thomas A. Dorsey
Writer
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40%
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Heartbreaker
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40%
Great Balls of Fire
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40%
9 to 5 and Odd Jobs
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1980
0%
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10 tracks
1983
60%
Burlap & Satin
10 tracks
1984
0%
The Great Pretender
10 tracks
1985
40%
Real Love
10 tracks
1987
20%
Rainbow
Columbia
10 tracks
1989
40%
White Limozeen
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1991
73%
Eagle When She Flies
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1993
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Slow Dancing with the Moon
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100%
Something Special
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1996
0%
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100%
Hungry Again
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The Grass Is Blue
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50%
Little Sparrow
14 tracks
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86%
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0%
Those Were the Days
12 tracks
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75%
Backwoods Barbie
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12 tracks
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100%
Better Day
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12 tracksProd. Dolly Parton
2014
67%
Blue Smoke
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12 tracksProd. Kent Wells
2016
100%
Pure & Simple
Dolly Records
10 tracksProd. Dolly Parton
2020
60%
A Holly Dolly Christmas
15 tracks
2022
100%
Run, Rose, Run
Butterfly Records
12 tracksProd. Dolly Parton
2023
30%
Rockstar
30 tracks
Frequently Asked Questions For God and Country
When was Dolly Parton's For God and Country released and on what label?
For God and Country was released on November 11, 2003, on Parton's own Blue Eye Records through the Welk Music Group. It is a patriotic and gospel themed album that Parton issued in the years following the September 11 attacks.
Did Dolly Parton write the songs on For God and Country?
Only some of them. The album mixes traditional and public-domain patriotic and gospel pieces with covers and a handful of Parton originals. Her own compositions include "Welcome Home," "Red, White and Bluegrass," "I'm Gonna Miss You," "Go to Hell," "Brave Little Soldier," and "Color Me America," plus a new recording of her 1977 song "Light of a Clear Blue Morning."
Who produced For God and Country?
Dolly Parton produced the album with Kent Wells and Tony Smith. Recording and mixing were handled by engineers including Chuck Ainlay, Russ Long, and John Guess, with Benny Quinn mastering.
Is "God Bless the USA" on For God and Country a Dolly Parton original?
No. "God Bless the USA" was written by Lee Greenwood, who first recorded it in 1984. Parton covers it on For God and Country as one of several patriotic standards on the record.
What is "Ballad of the Green Beret" on For God and Country?
"Ballad of the Green Berets" is a 1966 song written by Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler and author Robin Moore, credited as Robert L. Moore Jr. It honors U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers, and Parton includes her cover of it among the album's military-themed tracks.
Why did Dolly Parton re-record "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" for this album?
"Light of a Clear Blue Morning" is a Parton original that first appeared on her 1977 album New Harvest...First Gathering. Its hopeful, uplifting lyric fit the inspirational tone of For God and Country, so she revisited the song in a new recording for the project.
Which singles were released from For God and Country?
Two singles were issued, "Welcome Home" and "Light of a Clear Blue Morning," but neither reached the charts. The album itself reached number 23 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and number 167 on the Billboard 200.
How many patriotic standards are on For God and Country?
Much of the album draws on traditional and public-domain material such as "The Star Spangled Banner," "My Country 'Tis," "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," "The Lord Is My Shepherd," and "The Glory Forever." Parton arranged these in country and bluegrass styles and surrounded them with covers and her own new songs.