The Iconic Dolly Parton Song That Was Written With Acrylic Nails Instead Of Instruments

There are regular musicians, then there's Dolly Parton. Although the superstar debunked the internet rumor that she wrote hits "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" on the same day, she's still nothing short of a once-in-a-generation icon. The 10-time Grammy winner isn't just a talented singer-songwriter, she's also a gifted guitarist — with or without having long, acrylic nails. In fact, those nails of hers actually have a song credit.

While virtually appearing on "The Graham Norton Show" in October 2020, Parton was asked about her memorable song, "9 to 5." It turns out that she started writing it in between breaks on the set of the titular movie. But because the breaks could end at a moment's notice, the longtime philanthropist decided to just wait around and watch what was happening instead of running to her trailer.

"I would take my nails, because with acrylic nails, it makes like a percussive sound," she explained. "It sounds like a typewriter, too, so I just started to write little words and things that I would see and things that I would think that would fit with that day-to-day nine-to-five job." She later revealed that she put a credit to her nails on the back of the album. It simply read, "Nails by Dolly." 

Also during that interview on "The Graham Norton Show," Dolly Parton was asked how she was able to play the guitar while sporting long nails, and she admitted she taught herself how — but when it's time to buckle down and write a song, she removes them. She also joked that the long nails on her right hand double as guitar picks, but she had to learn how to play with the nails on her left hand. "But if I'm really serious about it, I just have to saw them down," she shared. (

Playing the guitar with long nails isn't something new for the musically talented performer. Back in 1979, during an appearance on "The Tonight Show" with host Johnny Carson, Parton played a song for Carson while rocking her signature acrylic nails. People in the comments section on YouTube, where the clip was uploaded, were in awe of her capacity to play so beautifully with those nails. "The ability to grab the guitar on a live show and fingerpick skillfully with those nails has earned even more of my respect," one person wrote.