September's been a month of firsts for Dolly Parton, from her first Emmy win (Outstanding Television Movie for the 2020 Netflix film Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square) to her first collaboration with fellow popular music icon Jose Feliciano.
Parton wrote and recorded "Eagle When She Flies" for the 1991 album of the same title. The original single reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in the states and cracked the Top 10 in Canada.
"'Eagle When She Flies' became very personal when my producer, Rick Jarrard, brought it to me for our Nashville recording session for the Behind This Guitar album," stated Feliciano in a press release. "After hearing it the very first time, I knew exactly what Dolly was saying, knowing certain women who are precisely what the song is about and so I needed to echo that, myself. I am blown away and so honored, really, that she offered to sing it with me. You know, Dolly, herself, is a magnificent eagle."
For the uninitiated, Feliciano's the Puerto Rican singer, guitarist, and composer behind bilingual Christmas song "Feliz Navidad" and a popular cover of The Door's "Light My Fire." More recently, his version of "California Dreamin'" became one of the most streamed songs from the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood soundtrack. He's won nine Grammy awards across his multi-decade career.
It's not Feliciano's first musical interaction with a country artist. The press release lists Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Glen Campbell as past collaborators.
"Eagle When She Flies" Lyrics
She's been there, god knows she's been there
She has seen and done it all
She's a woman, she knows how to dish it out or take it all
Her heart's as soft as feathers, still she weathers stormy skies
And she's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies
A kaleidoscope of colours, you can toss her round and round
You can keep her in your vision, but you never keep her down
She's a lover, she's a mother, she's a friend and she's a wife
And she's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies
Gentle as the sweet magnolia, strong as steel her faith and pride
She's an everlasting shoulder, she's a leading post of life
She hurts deep, and when she weeps, she's just as fragile as a child
And she's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies
She's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies
Oh, bless her, Lord
She's an eagle when she flies
