The Christmas song Hard Candy Christmas has long been one of my favorites. Dolly Parton brings something to the song that no one else ever could. Not only is it a Christmas favorite everywhere but it tugs at your heartstrings at the same time. The music, the lyrics, and Dolly Parton’s sweet voice have made this a number one Christmas song for years now.

This Christmas song was originally written Carol Hall who was a composer/lyricist for the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The song was then recorded and made famous by Dolly Parton when the song was adapted to the big screen in 1982 when it was released by Universal pictures.

In the original version of the song, the girls sang it in refrain as they were leaving the whorehouse after it was ordered to close. In the movie, Dolly Parton sang it as a solo with the girls singing backup. It didn’t take long for the song to hit number eight on the country billboard charts.

There are many rumors floating around as to what Hard Candy Christmas stands for. However, two of them carry make the most sense. In the movie, Burt Reynolds who played the sheriff had broken Dolly Parton’s heart and she said it would be a hard candy Christmas but she would not let sorrows bring her way down. However, hard candy Christmas can also stand for the Christmases’ that Dolly Parton had growing up. In an interview, she once said that you always knew what kind of Christmas you were having as a kid by the kind of candy her parents bought. Hard candy was a rare treat and toys were unheard of on Christmas morning. Therefore, the title and the lyrics of the song can be taken both ways. Still no matter how you decide to interpret it Hard Candy Christmas is a timeless classic that will tug on the heartstrings of people every Christmas for generations to come.

While Dolly Parton is the name associated with Hard Candy Christmas it has been recorded by other singers over the years. Some of the most notable are Rupaul in 1997, Dan Bryk and Sixpence None the Richer singer Leigh Nash in 2006. The Venture Brothers also recorded the song in 2005.

I know I will be listening, humming at singing Hard Candy Christmas when the holidays roll around again this year and I am sure others will as well.