Dolly Parton Says “Hard Candy Christmas” Is Not A Christmas Song

December 11, 2025 4:10 am Published by

Every December, it’s great to listen to some Christmas country classics, and Dolly Parton’s song “Hard Candy Christmas” is definitely one of them.

But apparently, Dolly never thought of it as a Christmas song at all.  She once said, “It’s kind of funny that people think it’s a Christmas song, it’s really not.  It’s just about people having hard times and saying, ‘It’s like a hard candy Christmas.'”

Dolly first recorded it in 1982 for “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” and even though Carol Hall wrote it, Dolly connected with the story.

Growing up in East Tennessee, her family didn’t have electricity, so Christmas meant simple decorations and a box of hard candy.

And even now, Dolly says those humble traditions are some of her sweetest memories.

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This post was written by Dave Palmer