About The Song
Solitude and Sincerity: “Try Being Lonely” by Dolly Parton
In her vast discography, Dolly Parton has always excelled at giving voice to the unspoken corners of the heart — the private pain, the quiet longing, and the deeply human ache of being alone. One of the lesser-known yet emotionally piercing songs in her catalog is “Try Being Lonely,” featured on her 1975 album The Bargain Store. With its stripped-down honesty and melodic restraint, this track captures not just the feeling of loneliness, but the weary resolve that often comes with it.
Written by Dolly Parton herself, “Try Being Lonely” is addressed to someone who may not fully understand the emotional toll of abandonment — or worse, indifference. It isn’t an angry song. There are no accusations or theatrics. Instead, it unfolds like a soft, melancholic confession: a portrait of quiet suffering, where the pain is sharpened not by dramatic events, but by the slow erosion of connection.
The central lyric — “Try being lonely, try losing a friend” — is deceptively simple, but it carries tremendous weight. The song’s message isn’t about romantic heartbreak in the usual sense; it’s about emotional isolation, about feeling unseen and unvalued. In just a few lines, Parton draws a picture of someone who’s been left behind emotionally, if not physically — and she challenges the listener (or perhaps a former partner) to walk a mile in her shoes.
Musically, the arrangement is understated and deeply effective. Soft acoustic guitar, gentle steel guitar accents, and light percussion form a tender backdrop, allowing the lyrics and Dolly’s voice to take center stage. There are no unnecessary flourishes. The song is delivered with a kind of stoic vulnerability — a tone Dolly has mastered — where the hurt is deeply felt, but never melodramatic.
Parton’s vocal performance here is particularly compelling. She doesn’t push the emotion; she lets it unfold naturally, with the kind of restraint that suggests lived experience rather than performed sorrow. Her phrasing is delicate, almost conversational at times, which adds to the song’s intimacy — as if she’s sharing a truth that’s been building quietly for some time.
The Bargain Store, the album that houses this track, marked a transitional moment in Parton’s career. She was establishing herself as a formidable solo artist, moving beyond the shadow of her duet career with Porter Wagoner. This album — filled with introspective, often bittersweet songs — showed her growing willingness to explore not just the themes of love and heartbreak, but the emotional texture of independence, loneliness, and resilience.
“Try Being Lonely” remains a hidden gem in her body of work — a song that doesn’t demand attention, but earns it through subtlety, emotional depth, and lyrical precision. It’s a reminder that loneliness isn’t always loud or dramatic. Sometimes, it’s quiet, slow, and aching — and sometimes, the most powerful songs are the ones that simply tell the truth.
In today’s fast-paced world, where noise often drowns out nuance, Dolly Parton’s “Try Being Lonely” stands as a timeless piece of reflection — a gently spoken plea for empathy, and a deeply human moment from one of music’s most compassionate voices.