Dolly Parton Only Needed A Few Lines Of An Old Folk Song — Then Stephen Colbert Broke Down In Tears

Stephen Colbert had interviewed some of the biggest names in entertainment, but nothing quite prepared him for the moment Dolly Parton began singing a song from her childhood.

During her appearance on The Late Show on October 20, 2020, Parton was reflecting on the music she heard growing up when she suddenly launched into “Bury Me Beneath the Willow,” a traditional folk song her mother used to sing.

There was no elaborate introduction. No band. No grand production.

Just Dolly Parton and a song tied to memories of home.

And within moments, Colbert was wiping away tears.

A Childhood Memory Suddenly Filled The Room

Parton had been talking about her mother’s influence on her musical life, recalling how traditional songs were often sung around the house when she was growing up.

Those songs weren’t always cheerful.

Many told stories of heartbreak, loneliness and tragedy — the kind of melancholy material Parton remembered as “plum pitiful.”

One of them was “Bury Me Beneath the Willow,” a traditional ballad famously associated with the Carter Family.

As Parton began singing the song herself, the conversation instantly changed.

Her voice was quiet and unaccompanied, allowing the emotion of the old folk tune to sit completely exposed.

Across from her, Colbert’s expression began to change.

Then Colbert Couldn’t Hold Back

By the second verse, the host was visibly emotional.

He removed his glasses and wiped his eyes as Parton continued, eventually noticing exactly what was happening.

“Aw, you’re crying?” she teased.

But instead of breaking the moment, Parton carried on singing.

The contrast was unmistakably Dolly — delivering a heartbreaking song with complete sincerity while still finding room for a little humor when she realized she’d caught her interviewer off guard.

When she finally stopped, she joked that she had better quit before Colbert cried so much that he couldn’t finish the show.

Still wiping his eyes, Colbert tried to explain why the performance had hit him so hard.

“Like a lot of Americans, I’m under a lot of stress right now, Dolly,” he said, before admitting that she had “got under my trip wire.”

Then came the simplest assessment of all:

It was beautiful.

The Song Was More Than Just A Song

The emotion made even more sense after hearing Parton explain where the music came from.

“Bury Me Beneath the Willow” wasn’t simply an old folk song she happened to remember. It belonged to the musical world created by her mother — the songs Parton absorbed as a child and carried with her into a lifetime of songwriting.

That connection between childhood, family and music has remained central to Parton’s work.

The interview was taking place as she promoted Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, a book exploring the stories and inspiration behind her songs. She also spoke about music she had been writing during the coronavirus pandemic, including songs reflecting the struggles people were experiencing at the time.

The Songs That Shaped Dolly Parton

Parton also revealed three songs from her own catalogue that stood out as personal favorites: “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Will Always Love You,” and the lesser-known “Down From Dover.”

But it was the unexpected folk song from her childhood that ultimately became the emotional centerpiece of the conversation.

For a few minutes, the superstar songwriter wasn’t discussing hits, awards or her enormous career.

She was simply remembering her mother.

And across the desk, Stephen Colbert found himself caught in that memory too.

A song once sung in Parton’s childhood home had traveled decades and thousands of miles — only to bring a late-night television host to tears.