Studio Album · No. 30
Little Sparrow Songwriting Credits by Dolly Parton
Holds writing credit on 7 of 14 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 7 / 14 documented
Scored across the 14 tracks with documented writers, by whether Dolly Parton carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 14 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Awards & Recognition 2
Recorded as the acoustic follow-up to The Grass Is Blue and again produced by Steve Buckingham for Sugar Hill, Little Sparrow leans heavily on Parton's own pen. She wrote six of the fourteen tracks, including the Appalachian title song, the murder-ballad epic "Mountain Angel," "Marry Me," "Bluer Pastures," and a stripped-back remake of her own 1970 song "Down from Dover." Around those originals she gathers eclectic covers, reworking Collective Soul's "Shine" (written by Ed Roland), Cole Porter's standard "I Get a Kick Out of You," and Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road" as high-lonesome bluegrass. Her version of "Shine" won the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and the album itself was nominated for Best Bluegrass Album.
Released January 23, 2001, on Sugar Hill Records and Blue Eye Records, Little Sparrow was produced by Steve Buckingham and recorded in 2000 at Oceanway and The Doghouse in Nashville and Schnee Studio in Los Angeles, and dedicated to her father Lee Parton, who had died in November 2000. The album blended Appalachian folk, bluegrass, and country gospel rooted in Parton's East Tennessee upbringing, with Parton writing approximately half of the 14 tracks alongside contributors including Ed Roland of Collective Soul. Guest artists gave the record notable breadth: Alison Krauss contributed harmony vocals, Nickel Creek provided instrumental support, and Irish folk group Altan appeared on several tracks, while covers included Collective Soul's 'Shine,' the Eagles' 'Seven Bridges Road,' and Cole Porter's 'I Get a Kick Out of You.' Critical reception was exceptionally strong, with Metacritic scoring the album 86 out of 100, Billboard calling it an instant classic, and Entertainment Weekly awarding an A grade. The album peaked at number 12 on country albums, reached number 1 on UK Country Albums, and won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for 'Shine.'
Track Listing & Credits 14 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Little Sparrow
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
Shine
|
Ed Roland | Ed Roland | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
I Don’t Believe You’ve Met My Baby
|
Autry Inman | Autry Inman | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
My Blue Tears
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Seven Bridges Road
|
Steve Young | Steve Young | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Bluer Pastures
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
A Tender Lie
|
Randy Sharp | Randy Sharp | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
I Get a Kick Out of You
|
Cole Porter | Cole Porter | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
Mountain Angel
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
Marry Me
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 11 |
Down from Dover
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Bob Ferguson | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 12 |
Beautiful Lie
|
Butch McDade | Butch McDade | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 13 |
In the Sweet By and By
|
Joseph P. WebsterSanford Fillmore Bennett | Joseph P. WebsterSanford Fillmore Bennett | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 14 |
Little Sparrow (Reprise)
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Steve Buckingham | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |