Original subtitles

- WELL HELLO, AND WELCOME TO A HOLLY DOLLY CHRISTMAS.

HAVE A "HOLLY DOLLY CHRISTMAS."

♪♪

MY NAME IS DOLLY.

A LOT OF YOU KNOW ME,

BUT I BET YOU A LOT OF FOLKS OUT THERE THAT ARE WATCHING,

JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE WATCHING A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL.

WELL, YOU PROBABLY KNOW ME FROM MY BIG HAIR,

MY SHINY CLOTHES AND ALL THAT.

BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT MY BACKGROUND,

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T.

I GREW UP IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS OF EAST TENNESSEE.

I GREW UP IN A BIG OL' FAMILY, 12 OF US KIDS,

SIX GIRLS AND SIX BOYS.

AND OF COURSE WE HAD A LOT OF FUN GROWING UP

IN THE MOUNTAINS.

WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF STUFF THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE

NOTHING THAT MONEY COULD BUY.

WE HAD A LOT OF GOOD STUFF.

THINGS MONEY DON'T BUY ANYWAY.

THINGS LIKE LOVE AND KINDNESS AND UNDERSTANDING AND ALL

THAT STUFF THAT YOU REALLY NEED THAT YOU CAN'T PUT A PRICE ON.

RIGHT?

ANYHOW, I HAVE SO, SO MANY PRECIOUS MEMORIES.

MY GRANDPA OF COURSE, WAS A PREACHER.

AND I USED TO GO TO CHURCH,

LEARNED EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT JESUS

IN THAT LITTLE HOUSE OF PRAYER.

SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW I'D KIND OF SET UP THIS LITTLE SET UP,

TO WHERE WE HAVE LIKE A LITTLE CHURCH BENCH.

SO I'M GOING TO KIND OF BE SITTING UP AND DOWN.

THEY SAID, "WELL, WOULD YOU JUST PLEASE SIT DOWN

AND DO THE WHOLE SHOW, BASICALLY SITTING DOWN?"

I SAID, "I CAN'T DO NOTHING JUST SITTING DOWN,

BUT I'LL TRY TO BEHAVE, I'LL TRY TO SIT HERE

AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF MY PRECIOUS MEMORIES."

BECAUSE I HAVE TO TELL YOU THEY ARE PRECIOUS.

OF COURSE NOW GROWING UP IN THE COUNTRY,

CHRISTMAS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN IT IS FOR FOLKS

GROWING UP IN THE CITY.

NOW, WHEN I GREW UP IN MY VERY EARLY DAYS,

WE DIDN'T HAVE ELECTRICITY.

SO WE HAD TO KIND OF MAKE OUR OWN CHRISTMAS LIGHTS.

AND DADDY USED TO ALWAYS GO CUT DOWN THE CHRISTMAS TREE

EVERY YEAR, MY BROTHERS AND MY DAD, AND DRAG IT BACK HOME.

AND ALL THE GIRLS AND THE LITTLE KIDS WERE KIND OF ALWAYS

WERE BACK AT THE HOUSE,

PREPARING TO PUT ALL THESE ORNAMENTS ON THE TREE.

NOW WE MADE OUR OWN, BY THE WAY, MY MOMMA WAS VERY CREATIVE.

SHE USED TO HAVE ALL THESE BIG BOXES OF SCRAPS, MANY COLORS,

WHICH I'LL GET TO A LITTLE LATER ON IN THE SHOW,

BUT SHE USED TO ALSO MAKE LITTLE BOWS AND RIBBONS OUT OF ALL

THE CLOTH THAT SHE USED TO GET.

AND SO WE'D POP OUR OWN POPCORN,

WE'D STRING THAT ALL AROUND THE TREE AND MOMMA WOULD CUT OUT

A STAR OUT OF A PIECE OF CARDBOARD AND WE'D PUT TIN FOIL

AROUND IT, YOU CALL IT ALUMINUM FOIL, I GUESS.

BUT ANYHOW, WE PUT THAT AT THE TOP OF OUR TREE

AND EVERYBODY HAD FUN WORKING ON THE TREE.

SO THAT MADE IT REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL TO US.

EVEN WROTE A SONG ABOUT IT AND IT'S CALLED,

"I'M COMIN' HOME FOR CHRISTMAS" AND IT GOES LIKE THIS.

- COMING UP, I'M GONNA BE TELLIN' YOU A STORY

ABOUT A COAT OF MINE.

ONLY ON CBS.

- AND OF COURSE, I THINK A LOT ABOUT MY MOM.

MOM DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING EXCEPT A BUNCH OF KIDS.

MOM AND DADDY GOT MARRIED VERY, VERY YOUNG.

AND OF COURSE, MOMMA, SHE WAS THE KIND OF PERSON

THAT JUST COULD TELL YOU ANYTHING,

MAKE IT SOUND GOOD,

COOK ANYTHING AND MAKE IT TASTE GOOD.

I REMEMBER THIS ONE TIME, IT WAS CHRISTMAS TIME

AND WE ALWAYS HAD OUR LITTLE CHURCH SERVICE

AT THE LITTLE HOUSE OF PRAYER.

AND OF COURSE, I GUESS THE CHURCH

HAD THROWED IN A LITTLE MONEY

TO WHERE EVERYBODY COULD HAVE A LITTLE GRAB BAG.

CAUSE WE ALWAYS HAD SERVICES

AND EVERYBODY AROUND OUR PARTS WERE VERY POOR.

SO EVERYBODY WAS GOING TO GET A LITTLE CHRISTMAS PRESENT,

EVEN THE GROWNUPS,

THE WOMEN AND YOU KNOW ESPECIALLY THE KIDS.

SO I REMEMBER THIS ONE PARTICULAR TIME

THAT MOM HAD SO MANY KIDS, THAT THEY WERE GIVIN'

ALL THE PRESENTS OUT TO ALL MOMMA'S KIDS.

SO MOMMA DIDN'T GET ONE.

SO I REMEMBER THIS ONE LADY SAYING,

"WELL AVIE LEE, YOU WON'T MIND WILL YOU?

CAUSE YOU HAD SO MANY KIDS,

THEY GOT SO MANY OF THE PRESENTS."

AND OF COURSE, MOMMA, EVERYBODY'S A KID AT CHRISTMAS.

AND I REMEMBER MOM SAID,

"NO, NO, NO, I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THAT."

SO I SAW MOM OVER, SITTING ON THE BENCH CRYING.

SHE DIDN'T MAKE ANY NOISE,

BUT I WENT OVER AND I SAID,

"MOMMA, YOU CAN HAVE MINE."

SHE SAID, "NO, NO, HONEY, I DON'T WANT YOURS,

BUT I LOVE YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR GOOD HEART."

SO BECAUSE OF MOMMA,

I'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO HAVE A GOOD HEART

AND I JUST WANT TO LOVE EVERYBODY,

NOT JUST AT CHRISTMAS,

BUT ALL THE TIME I WANT EVERYBODY TO LOVE ME.

I KNOW THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE, BUT THE ONES THAT DO LOVE ME

KIND OF MAKE UP FOR THE ONES THAT DON'T,

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

BUT ANYWAY, I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THAT

CAUSE I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW,

MOMMA WAS JUST A LITTLE KID TOO AT CHRISTMAS.

SHE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO GROW UP.

SHE WAS JUST A KID WHEN SHE STARTED HAVING US

15 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE HAD MY SISTER, WILLADEENE.

BUT ANYHOW, I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER MOMMA SAYIN' I HAD A GOOD HEART.

SO HOPEFULLY I WILL ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD HEART.

SO MOMMA HAD SUCH GOOD HEART

THAT WHEN SHE WAS SEWING ME A LITTLE COAT

THAT I NEEDED TO WEAR.

IT WAS LATE IN THE FALL.

MOMMA HAD, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER,

BOXES OF SCRAPS AND RAGS THAT PEOPLE WOULD SEND HER

AND SHE WOULD MAKE ALL OF OUR CLOTHES

AND SHE'D MAKE ALL THE CURTAINS FOR OUR WINDOWS

OUT OF THOSE RAGS AND SCRAPS AND ALL THE QUILTS FOR OUR BEDS

AND ANY, ANYTHING SHE NEEDED TO DO,

MOMMA KNEW HOW TO SEW IT.

SO THIS ONE PARTICULAR TIME I NEEDED A LITTLE COAT.

SHE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FABRIC OF ONE COLOR.

SO SHE MADE ME THIS COAT

AND MOMMA WAS THE KIND THAT WOULD TRY TO MAKE EVERYTHING

MEAN SOMETHING.

SO SHE TOLD ME THE STORY FROM THE BIBLE

AND IT WAS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT.

BUT ANYHOW, SHE TOLD ME THAT STORY ABOUT JOSEPH

AND THE COAT OF MANY COLORS.

AND I TOOK IT ALL TO HEART, TO MY GOOD HEART, (CHUCKLES)

AND MOMMA'S GOOD HEART.

SO ANYWAY, I TOOK THAT LITTLE STORY TO HEART

AND YEARS LATER, OF COURSE I WENT TO SCHOOL

AND THE KIDS LAUGHED AT ME AND MY COAT,

ME THINKIN' I LOOK LIKE JOSEPH, OF COURSE I DIDN'T.

BUT, YEARS LATER I REALIZED THAT

THAT HAD HURT ME MORE THAN I KNEW

WHEN I WROTE THIS LITTLE SONG AND COME TO FIND OUT.

SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD SO MUCH HEALING

FROM THIS LITTLE SONG

BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MADE FUN OF

FOR ONE THING OR ANOTHER ALL THEIR LIVES OR ALL THROUGH TIME.

BUT ANYHOW, I HOPE YOU'LL ENJOY

HEARING THIS LITTLE SONG AGAIN AND IT'S SPECIAL TO ME.

AND IT GOES LIKE THIS.

- AND I REMEMBER WHEN THE LITTLE SONG,

"I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS" CAME OUT.

I THINK IT WAS TERESA BREWER.

AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE CUTEST THING I'D EVER HEARD.

AND SO WHEN I GOT READY TO DO THIS ALBUM,

I THOUGHT, WELL, I'M GOING TO DO THAT

BECAUSE ALSO WANTED TO DO A SONG FOR THE KIDS IN THIS ALBUM

BECAUSE I'M SO INVOLVED WITH KIDS

WITH NOT ONLY MY OWN LITTLE NIECES AND NEPHEWS.

AND I JUST LOVE EVERYBODY'S KIDS.

I NEVER HAD ANY OF MY OWN,

BUT I THINK GOD DIDN'T MEAN FOR ME TO HAVE KIDS.

SO EVERYBODY'S KIDS COULD BE MINE.

SO NOW I'M THE BOOK LADY WITH THE IMAGINATION LIBRARY.

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT PROGRAM?

WELL, IT'S VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.

IT'S A PROGRAM THAT I STARTED 25 YEARS AGO WITH MY DAD.

MY DAD WAS NEVER ABLE TO READ AND WRITE

AND THAT KIND OF BOTHERED HIM ALWAYS.

AND IT BOTHERED ME THAT HE WAS BOTHERED ABOUT THAT.

I TOLD HIM, I SAID, "DADDY, THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE

IN THIS WORLD THAT CAN'T READ AND WRITE,

IT'S NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF."

BECAUSE DADDY GREW UP IN A BIG FAMILY, POOR PEOPLE.

AND BACK THEN IN THE MOUNTAINS,

PEOPLE HAD TO GO TO WORK IN THE FIELDS TO HELP FEED,

YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE FAMILY

AND SCHOOL HOUSES WAS ONE ROOM SCHOOL,

YOU KNOW, WAY OFF, HAVING TO RUN BACK AND FORTH IN THE SNOW

AND ALL THAT.

THEY DIDN'T GET TO GO TO SCHOOL.

SO HE WAS BOTHERED WITH IT.

AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO DO SOMETHING

BECAUSE MY DADDY IS THE SMARTEST PERSON I KNOW.

IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT HE COULDN'T READ AND WRITE.

SO I GOT THIS IDEA TO START A PROGRAM

WHERE WE WOULD GIVE BOOKS TO CHILDREN FROM

THE TIME THEY WERE BORN IN THEIR MOST IMPRESSIONABLE YEARS

UNTIL THEY STARTED TO SCHOOL.

AND IF YOU COULD LEARN TO READ, AS YOU KNOW,

YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT ANYTHING,

YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO GO TO COLLEGE.

THERE'S A BOOK ON EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD, IF YOU CAN READ.

SO, GOT MY DADDY INVOLVED IN IT.

WE STARTED, YOU KNOW, GIVING THESE BOOKS AWAY.

WE THOUGHT, WELL, IF WE'RE LUCKY,

YOU KNOW, IT'LL GO IN OUR HOME COUNTY THERE IN SEVIERVILLE,

MAYBE COUPLE OF COUNTIES OVER.

BUT THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL OVER TENNESSEE.

THANKS, AT THE TIME, GOVERNOR PHIL BREDESEN,

LOVED THE PROGRAM.

HE SAID, "THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM,

LET'S TAKE IT TENNESSEE ALL OVER TENNESSEE."

I SAID, "LET'S GO!"

NEXT THING YOU KNOW, IT'S IN CANADA,

NEXT THING YOU KNOW, IT'S IN ENGLAND.

NEXT THING YOU KNOW, IT'S IN AUSTRALIA.

SCOTLAND, IRELAND, AND WE'RE JUST EVERYWHERE NOW.

AND THAT LITTLE PROGRAM WE STARTED,

WE'VE GIVEN AWAY NOW LIKE, 150 MILLION BOOKS TO CHILDREN.

AND MY DADDY GOT TO LIVE LONG ENOUGH

TO SEE IT DOING REALLY GOOD.

AND HE JUST GOT THE BIGGEST KICK

OUT OF PEOPLE CALLING ME THE BOOK LADY.

THAT'S WHAT THE KIDS CALL ME

BECAUSE THEY GET THEIR LITTLE BOOK IN THE MAIL

EVERY MONTH WITH THEIR NAME ON IT.

THEY'RE GOING TO GO, "GET THAT LITTLE BOOK

FROM THE BOOK LADY,"

MAKE SOMEBODY TEACH 'EM HOW TO READ.

SO ANYHOW, I'M PROUD OF THE PROGRAM, PROUD OF MY DAD,

PROUD THAT HE GOT TO LIVE LONG ENOUGH

TO SEE IT DOING SO WELL.

SO, I'M SURE A LOT OF YOU CAN RELATE TO THAT STORY

IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

SO, CAUSE I LOVE THE KIDS AND HAVE SO MANY OF THEM.

I DECIDED I'D DO,

"I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS" IN THIS ALBUM

FOR THEM AND I'M SINGING IT TO YOU TONIGHT.

JUST FOR YOU.

- BECAUSE WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THIS SONG,

IT'S A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THE BIRTH OF JESUS.

IT'S ABOUT LITTLE MARY AND HOW SHE MIGHT'VE FELT.

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE, JUST A LITTLE GIRL THERE IN THE VILLAGE

AND GOD SAYIN', WELL, I'M GONNA SEND

THE KING OF KINGS YOUR WAY.

YOU'RE GONNA BIRTH THE KING OF KINGS.

CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW SHE FELT?

I'VE OFTEN WONDERED DID SHE KNOW?

DID SHE KNOW THAT, HOW SHE FELT ABOUT THAT?

HOW THAT CAME TO BE?

BUT THIS SONG, I THINK, REALLY IS A BEAUTIFUL THING

AND I THINK YOU'LL LOVE IT TOO.

AND IT JUST TOUCHES ME WHEN I SING IT.

IT REMINDS ME A LOT OF A SONG I RECORDED YEARS AGO

CALLED, "HE'S ALIVE."

THAT BECAME SUCH A BIG HIT

AND A POPULAR SONG FOR ME TO SING.

EVERY TIME I SING IT, I GET CHILLS AND I JUST FEEL IT.

I JUST FEEL THE SPIRIT IN THE SONG.

AND I FEEL THE SAME THING ABOUT THIS LITTLE SONG.

SO HOPEFULLY YOU'LL FEEL IT TOO.

IT'S REALLY A GOOD CHRISTMAS SONG.

MARY, IF YOU KNEW, HOW WONDERFUL FOR YOU,

THAT HE'D CHOOSE YOU TO BRING TO US THE KING OF KINGS.

GOD BLESS YOU, MARY.

YOU BE SURE TO STICK AROUND.

MORE COMIN' UP RIGHT AFTER THIS ONLY ON CBS.

- WELL, IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY FOR A LITTLE CHRISTMAS JOY

SO I GOT SOME OF MY FRIENDS TOGETHER,

SOCIALLY DISTANCING OF COURSE,

TO RECORD A NEW CHRISTMAS ALBUM WITH YOURS TRULY.

TURN ON YOUR FAVORITE CLASSICS,

ALONG WITH SOME NEW ORIGINALS FROM LITTLE OL' ME,

ON MY NEW ALBUM, "A HOLLY DOLLY CHRISTMAS."

GET YOUR COPY NOW.

- CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR CARING, BEIN' AT YOUR BEST.

CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR SHARING,

KNOWIN' YOU'VE BEEN BLESSED.

CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR GIVIN', LOVE IS MADE OF THIS.

THAT'S WHAT CHRISTMAS IS.

NOW CHRISTMAS IS A JOYFUL TIME IF YOU'RE THE LUCKY ONES.

SOME ARE BLESSED WITH GIFTS AND TRINKETS, OTHERS HAVE NONE.

NOW SOME HAVE FEASTS UPON THEIR TABLES, OTHERS ONLY CRUMBS.

THERE ARE THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS,

AND YOU COULD BE EITHER ONE.

BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT KINDNESS, LOVE, AND COMPASSION.

IT IS BETTER TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE.

THAT IS A TRUE FACT.

AND THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW THAT,

WELL THEY ARE THE POOREST INDEED.

SO I HOPE YOU'LL REMEMBER EVERY DECEMBER

THAT BRIGHT SHINING LIGHT FROM ABOVE,

IT'S THE PROMISE OF GOD'S LIPS, THE GREATEST OF ALL GIFTS,

WRAPPED UP IN HIS WONDROUS LOVE.

SO REJOICE IN HIS GLORY, THE GREAT CHRISTMAS STORY

AND TO THOSE THAT YOU'RE SHARIN' IT WITH,

YOU GO TELL IT WITH PASSION, WITH LOVE EVERLASTIN'

'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT CHRISTMAS IS.

- WOW, LOOK AT ME!

IT'S THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS.

I'VE GOT A NEW PIECE FOR MY OUTFIT.

ANYWAY, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR JOININ' ME.

I WANT TO THANK ALL THE WONDERFUL CAST

AND CREW THAT HELPED PUT THIS SHOW TOGETHER.

ESPECIALLY MY MIGHTY FINE BAND

AND MY MIGHTY FINE SINGERS, THE CHOIR.

NOW WE HAVE MANAGED TO DO THIS SHOW SAFELY

IN OUR HOME AREA HERE IN NASHVILLE.

OF COURSE WE WERE SMART ABOUT TESTING, WEARIN' MASKS,

AND SOCIAL DISTANCING.

NOW IT'S NOT A BIG HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION SHOW

AS I'M SURE YOU'VE NOTICED BUT I DID WANT TO AT LEAST SHARE

SOME MUSIC AND SOME STORIES WITH YOU TO TRY

TO BRIGHTEN UP YOUR CHRISTMAS AS WELL AS OURS

AND I HOPE THAT I'VE DONE THAT.

I'VE ENJOYED DOIN' IT FOR YOU.

AND I DO WISH YOU A MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS

NO MATTER HOW LIMITED IT MIGHT BE THIS YEAR.

AND I'M HOPIN' FOR A BETTER NEW YEAR, AS I'M SURE YOU ARE,

'CAUSE LORDY, THIS ONE COULDN'T GET MUCH CRAZIER, COULD IT?

I GUESS IT COULD, BUT I HOPE IT DON'T,

WITH THE VIRUS, THE WEATHER, THE ELECTION, WHEW!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF THAT, DO YOU?

ANYWAY, I DO WANT TO CLOSE THE SHOW WITH A NEW SONG

THAT I'VE WRITTEN THAT'S JUST FULL OF FAITH,

AND HOPE, AND CHARITY,

WHICH I THINK IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW.

AND NO MATTER WHAT, I STILL BELIEVE.