Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton Announces a New Single to Celebrate Her 77th Birthday

Parton's new song "Don't Make Me Have To Come Down There" was inspired by a dream the singer had.

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Dolly Parton has a gift to give her fans for her birthday this year.

The country legend turned 77 on Jan. 19 and marked the occasion by posting a video to Instagram in which she sings herself happy birthday and announces a "special" new song.

"Today is my birthday, so 'Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me,'" the "Jolene" artist sang.

"Somebody said, 'What are you going to get on your birthday?'" Parton continued in the video. "I said, 'I'm not going to get. I'm going to give.' I've got a song that I'm dropping today on my birthday."

The song is titled "Don't Make Have To Me Come Down There." Parton said the idea for the song came to her from a dream of God standing on a mountain, looking down at the world and saying, "Don't make me have to come down there."

"It woke me up," she said. "I got up, and I started writing this song and over a period of weeks and months, I finished it as things would come to me. I just felt like I should drop it on my birthday."

The catchy, upbeat song is written from the perspective of God warning his "children," with lyrics like, "if you don’t pay attention, consequences will be dire."

"Don't Make Me Have To Come Down There" could be a single on Parton's upcoming rock 'n' roll album, her first in the genre.

Parton told TODAY's Hoda Kotb last month that this album is different from all her previous ones — and might even be better.

“I really think it’s some of the best work I’ve ever done,” she said. “I think so only because it’s different for me. I wanted it to be good.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY

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