Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" are not only two of the most iconic songs of all time, but they were also written on the same night.
And Parton told Insider that she still remembers exactly where she was sitting when she came up with some of her most famous lyrics.
"When I wrote those songs, I remember just sitting in the corner of this couch by this fireplace that was in the first house that Carl and I ever owned," Parton recalled, referring to her husband Carl Dean. "We lived there for a few years before we built our current home."
"I just remember that den having so much atmosphere to write," she continued. "There was just something about that fireplace, the coziness, and that corner. The one corner of the couch where I was always sitting with my feet up, writing and singing my songs."
It's likely Parton got an early start on the day she wrote both songs. The country-music legend revealed to Insider that she usually wakes up at 3 a.m.
"I don't need a whole lot of sleep," Parton said. "I go to bed pretty early, but even if I've been up late — it's just kind of like a little clock inside of me that says 'it's 3 o'clock!'"
"I do some of my best work there, but I get enough sleep," she added. "I don't require as much sleep as a lot of other people do, that's kind of a Parton family trait."
While Parton is known for her love of Southern food, she hardly eats when she's deep in a major creative moment like the day she wrote "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You."
"I don't remember eating anything on those days!" she said with a laugh. "Cause when I write, when I really am serious writing, I don't eat much."
Parton also rarely eats when she's singing or recording an album.
"If I'm recording, I just eat potato chips," she said. "Because the salt is good for my vocal cords. I can sing all day just doing that."
Parton can't remember exactly what she ate the night she finished her two biggest tunes, but she knows it was definitely some comfort food.
"I would imagine after I did, I'd probably eat something like a big ol' bowl of mashed potatoes, mac and cheese — something filling and satisfying," she said.
Parton always adds a special ingredient to take her mac and cheese to the next level, serving her version with fried apples.
"I thought, this is an absolutely great combination," Parton said. "And ever since then, when I'm going to do mac and cheese, I always do fried apples. They're just so good together. You'll like it!"
If pasta isn't on the menu, Parton might be whipping up a Southern breakfast for Carl Deal — who she's been married to for 55 years – or cooking for the cast of her next movie.
Or she might be at Taco Bell, one of her usual fast-food restaurants. The chain recently brought back the Mexican Pizza — a Dolly Parton favorite.
