Sad Ass Songs

Work

by Jad Abumrad, Shima Oleai, Radiolab · 2019

The first episode of Radiolab’s Dolly Parton’s America series, examining Dolly Parton’s relationship to sorrowful songs and Appalachian musical traditions.

1 episode featuring Sad Ass Songs

Radiolab
Dolly Parton turns women’s suffering into a language of hope
The episode examines how Dolly’s songs document abuse, abandonment, poverty, and grief while challenging the idea that feminist practice requires the label.
Aug 28, 2026 · 1h 10m

1 episode featuring Sad Ass Songs

Dolly Parton turns women’s suffering into a language of hope