This Hit Dolly Parton Song From The '70s Wasn't Actually A Breakup Ballad

Dolly Parton's discography is overflowing with amazing songs that mean so much to so many. Like all great musicians, Parton would take what she was feeling and turn it into something everyone could relate to. We can hear "I Will Always Love You" and think of a deep, romantic love that can never be broken, even though the song was really Parton's way of telling longtime musical partner Porter Wagoner that she wanted to go solo. Another Parton classic, "Two Doors Down," has been put on repeat by many brokenhearted people trying to come to terms with being dumped. But the true origins of the song are less about feelings of the heart and more about the stomach.

Parton revealed the inspiration for "Two Doors Down" when she visited Kelly Clarkson in 2022, and while the song may not be about a hard breakup, it is still very relatable. Parton was on the road with her band while also trying to lose weight by going on a fad diet. But when they arrived at their hotel for the night — a Howard Johnson's — the band went to the restaurant for some fried clams, which Parton loved, while she sat in her room. As she explained, "I was on that stupid liquid protein diet, and the band was down in the kitchen... I could hear them all laughing and talking." 

As her band chowed down, poor Parton was all alone, wishing she could join in on the talking, the laughing, and, most importantly, the delicious Howard Johnson cuisine. As Parton listened, "I just started singing... I was just in there feeling sorry for myself cause they was eating fried clams and I wasn't." And really, is there anything more heartbreaking than missing out on a great meal with friends?

While "Two Doors Down" has been misunderstood by many over the years, it pales in comparison to the reaction Dolly Parton's song "The Bargain Store" got when she released it. Parton thought for sure that "The Bargain Store" was a hit waiting to happen and even named her 1975 album after it. But when radio stations heard the song, they refused to play it. It all came down to the interpretation of the lyrics, most notably, "I may have just what you're looking for / If you don't mind the fact that all the merchandise is used." Radio station managers thought Parton was talking about being promiscuous and decided that the song was vulgar. But as Parton explained to Vulture, "I'm talking about a broken heart and how we can put the pieces back together if we're willing to try."

That wasn't the first time Parton's songs were misunderstood, and it wouldn't be the last. Her 1969 song, "Evening Shade," tells the story of a group of orphans getting revenge on an abusive headmistress by burning the orphanage to the ground with her in it. According to Parton, "They wouldn't play that one on the radio either. They thought it was going to incite violence or something."

And, in 2017, Parton teamed up with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus for "Rainbowland," a song about accepting one another and unifying as humans. But the song became a point of controversy in 2023  when Waukesha, Wisconsin's Heyer Elementary banned the tune from the spring concert. They claimed it was because of Cyrus' controversial past, but that didn't explain why the school also banned the Muppets song "Rainbow Connection." And while Miss Piggy can be difficult, she has never been considered controversial.