Daddy's Moonshine Still

Album: Joshua (1971)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this track from her seventh solo album, Dolly Parton portrays a daughter who recalls the strife her father caused their family by selling moonshine, a high-proof bootleg liquor. Although her dad really did dabble in producing the homebrew, it didn't cause as much problems in her family as it did for others in her Eastern Tennessee mountain community.

    "My daddy made moonshine for a while, and Mama didn't like that. He didn't really want to do it, but people make moonshine in the mountains because they need the income. So Daddy did that for a time, and so did a lot of my relatives," she recalled in her 2020 book, Songteller. "It broke a lot of hearts, because not only did they make it, they drank it. Then they began mistreating their families - their wives and their kids. I take poetic license in most everything I write, but I could base the song loosely on things that have happened in my life."
  • 1971 was a fruitful year for Dolly's solo career. She released two albums, Joshua and the gospel album The Golden Streets Of Glory, that earned her Grammy nominations for their respective title tracks, and she landed her first #1 Country hit with "Joshua." She also issued the album Coat Of Many Colors, which featured her classic song of the same name.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

Producer Ron Nevison

Producer Ron NevisonSong Writing

Ron Nevison explains in very clear terms the Quadrophenia concept and how Heart staged their resurgence after being dropped by their record company.

Carl Sturken

Carl SturkenSongwriter Interviews

Hitmaker Carl Sturken on writing and producing for Rihanna, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Donny Osmond, Shakira and Karyn White.

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.

Krishna Das

Krishna DasSongwriter Interviews

The top chant artist in the Western world, Krishna Das talks about how these Hindu mantras compare to Christian worship songs.