SHE SAILED AWAY, PROMISED SHE'LL RETURN ONE DAY...

Dear Dolly,

I had the opportunity to see you perform live in 1993 at the Circus Maximus Theater in Atlantic City. I had visited the city drawn by Bruce Springsteen's song, only to encounter the goddess of country music.

As a huge fan of folk music -and by extension, country music- I have always followed and enjoyed your work, alongside that of Tammy, Shania, and Emmylou. Tammy left us some years ago, and today you have decided to join her.

Artists possess the greatness of never truly dying, for your works endure through time. While the vast majority of people will likely remember you for "Jolene" or as the original songwriter of "I Will Always Love You" -a song Whitney later covered with the kind of breathtaking excellence only she could achieve- for me, the song that has always moved me the most is "Coat of Many Colors." It is a masterpiece with incredibly powerful lyrics and chords as simple as your voice; for that is what your voice was: simple, powerful, honest, transparent, and sensitive.

We are currently sailing the Mediterranean, and our small tribute to you is "Sail Away." We know you won't be coming back, but we also know that one day we, too, will arrive at the place where you must now be singing and bringing happiness to others.

We will always love you. Thank you so much for your music, your commitment to children's education, and your love of literature.

It's my tears that fill this ocean
And my sorrow rocks these waves
'Cause my true love took the notion
To take my heart and sail away

Sail away, he sailed away
Promised he'd be back one day
Left me crying in his wake
Sailors, they sail away
He sailed away, he sailed away

Mothers warn your sweet young daughters
Pure of heart and fair of face
Sparkling eyes like sun on water
Tell them "Sailors sail away"

Sail away, they sail away
Promise they'll return one day
Some will do just as they say
But mostly they just sail away
They sail away, they sail away
Sailors they sail away

A sailor's true love is the sea
They give what's left to you and me
And yet we love them anyway
Knowing they
Will sail away
Sailors they just sail away

Sail away, they sail away
They sail away, they sail away
They sail away, they sail away
They sail away, they sail away

More information: Dolly Parton

Songwriting is my way of channeling 
my feelings and my thoughts. 
Not just mine, but the things I see, 
the people I care about. 
My head would explode 
if I didn't get some of that stuff out.

Dolly Parton