Dolly Parton releases tearjerking cover of Simon & Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'

22 January 2024, 12:44

It's up there with one of the most beautiful songs ever written.

When Simon & Garfunkel released 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' in 1970 from their album of the same name, it changed people's perceptions of folk-rock music.

No longer was the genre a counter-cultural soundtrack for the youth of that generation, but the song resonated with a mainstream audience.

The album of the same name took Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel to the top of the charts in ten countries, won them countless plaudits including six Grammy Awards, and at the time became the best-selling album ever.

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Referred to as the duo's "most effortless record and their most ambitious" record, it was also their final album before splitting.

Nevertheless, the inspirational title song remains as impactful today as it ever has, and has been covered by the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Whitney Houston in the years since its original release.

There's another cover version to rival the aforementioned however, with Dolly Parton releasing her own tear-jerking rendition of the classic folk-rock composition.

Country music's very own fairy godmother announced she was releasing her own version of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' for her 78th birthday celebrations.

On Friday 19th January 2024, Dolly surprised her global fanbase with a deluxe release of her lauded rock album, Rockstar.

The 39-track collection includes a total of nine new songs, featuring her stirring, gospel-influenced rendition of the Simon & Garfunkel classic.

Beginning with a deft restraint, her vocals eventually begin to soar as the tempo picks up, in an emotional delivery of the song's timeless lyrics.

The lyrical theme of unwavering companionship throughout the hardships of life, love, and loss have an added complexity, as though Dolly is singing it to her dear husband of 57 years, Carl Thomas Dean.

Dolly Parton - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Official Audio)

Releasing alongside a new batch of songs which were recorded during the sessions for her 2023 album Rockstar, Dolly said she wanted to give her fans a birthday surprise.

It's my birthday so I’m going to give you a present! I'm releasing four never-released songs for my birthday, to go with the Rockstar album, and a few others that you may have heard before that were not on the album."

"I hope you enjoy them, and I hope you all have a happy birthday for me! LOL," she adds in the statement, adding: "Thanks for everything."

A bonafide country music icon, Dolly has conquered pop music, acting, rock 'n' roll music, and now one of the most beloved folk-rock compositions of all time, is there anything Dolly can't do?