Dolly Parton is opening up about her hit single, “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” Parton first released the song in 1977, on her New Harvest…First Gathering record. At the time, Parton wrote the song about going out on her own after splitting from her professional relationship with Porter Wagoner. Almost 50 years later, the song feels more timely than ever.

“‘Light of a Clear Blue Morning’ has always been one of my favorite songs that I’ve written because I wrote this at a time when I was going out on my own, having some fears and doubts and all the things you have when you are going out on your own,” Parton tells Audacy. “When I wrote the song, it was really expressing how I was feeling about life, the future, and all the questions that we have in our mind. And I just felt like this day and time, this was a perfect song to revisit to give people a little light… of a clear blue morning!”

Why Dolly Parton Asked Other Artists to Join Her On “Light of a Clear Blue Morning”

Parton is joined on “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” by Lainey Wilson, Reba McEntire, Miley Cyrus, and Queen Latifah. For Parton, it was important to share the song with other artists.

“I wanted it to kind of be like a ‘We Are the World’ – in this case, it’s like ‘We Are the Girls,’” Parton says. “I just thought that it turned out to be the perfect thing all around for everybody, and I’m hoping that you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed doing it.”

The Story Behind Dolly Parton’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning”

Parton still recalls writing “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” and the message she wanted to convey in the lyrics.

“I wrote ‘Light of a Clear Blue Morning’ during a season when I was searching for hope,” Parton remembers. “And 50 years later, that message still feels just as true. As I celebrate my 80th birthday, this new version is my way of using what I’ve been blessed with to shine a little light forward, especially by sharing it with some truly incredible women.”

In her Songteller book, Parton recalls the day she wrote “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” and the turmoil she was experiencing at the time.

“‘Light Of A Clear Blue Morning’ was my song of deliverance,” Parton says (via Songfacts). “I felt like I was trapped in a situation and needed to be free, because God was calling me, life was calling me, to something bigger. But I felt like my feet were nailed to the floor.”

When Parton had the idea for “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” she was driving home after telling Wagoner she wanted to end their partnership. She recalls seeing the clouds part and the sun shine through on her drive.

“I thought, ‘Well, if that ain’t a sign, I don’t know what is,'” Parton says. “I started saying the song’s words. By the time I got home, I pretty much had the song done, in my head. I felt like God had spoken to me. I had a good talk with myself, and I was free, thinking: ‘I’ve won my freedom like an eagle, and I’m eager for the sky. So let me go, and look out, world.'”