About The Song
“Light of a Clear Blue Morning” is a song written and recorded by Dolly Parton. It was released as a single on March 21, 1977, by RCA Records as the lead single from her eighteenth solo studio album, New Harvest…First Gathering. The album was released on February 14, 1977. The track runs approximately 4 minutes and 53 seconds. Parton co-produced the recording with Gregg Perry.
New Harvest…First Gathering marked Parton’s first self-produced album and her first project aimed more directly at broader commercial appeal beyond traditional country. Recording sessions for the album took place between August 19 and December 17, 1976. The album reached number 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, becoming Parton’s first number-one country album, and peaked at number 71 on the Billboard 200. It remained on the country albums chart for 29 weeks.
The single “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” debuted at number 70 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated April 9, 1977. It peaked at number 11 on the chart dated June 11, 1977, after ten weeks, and spent a total of 13 weeks on the chart. It also reached number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. The B-side of the original single was “There.”
Parton has stated in interviews and in her 2020 book Songteller that she wrote the song in the mid-1970s during the period following her professional separation from longtime collaborator Porter Wagoner. She left Wagoner’s show and associated business arrangements in 1974 to pursue a more independent career path. The composition was completed during a drive home after a meeting related to that transition. Parton has referred to it as her “song of deliverance” in connection with that chapter of her career.
Contemporary reviews noted the production approach and Parton’s dual role as writer and producer. A Billboard review in the April 2, 1977, issue described the single as continuing Parton’s development as a multi-talented crossover artist, highlighting the vocal performance and gospel-influenced background elements. AllMusic later characterized the track as a sophisticated piece of adult contemporary songcraft. Rolling Stone ranked it number 4 on a list of the 50 best Dolly Parton songs, associating it with a transitional phase in her career.
Parton has recorded the song on multiple occasions. The original 1977 version appeared on New Harvest…First Gathering. She re-recorded it for the 1992 film Straight Talk, with adjustments to the second verse. A further version was included on the 2003 album For God and Country. In January 2026, Parton released a new recording featuring Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah, and Reba McEntire, with David Foster on piano and the Christ Church Choir. Net proceeds from that version and its accompanying music video were designated to support pediatric cancer research at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
The 2026 re-recording debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Country Digital Song Sales chart and number 41 on the Country Airplay chart. It also reached number 10 on the UK Official Singles Sales Chart. The original 1977 recording has continued to appear on compilations and streaming platforms.
Other singles from New Harvest…First Gathering included “You Are,” “Applejack,” and a cover of “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher.” The album featured guest appearances by country artists including Roy Acuff, Kitty Wells, Johnny Wright, Chet Atkins, and Minnie Pearl on select tracks. Parton wrote the majority of the material, with the exception of the two covers.
Chart data and discography records consistently document the March 21, 1977, single release date, the February 14, 1977, album release, the number 11 peak on Hot Country Songs, the number 87 Hot 100 peak, the number 1 country album peak, and the production credits for Parton and Gregg Perry. These details are corroborated across Billboard archives, RCA catalog information, Parton discography resources, and contemporary industry publications from 1977.
The song has been covered by artists including Glen Campbell (on his 1991 album Unconditional Love), Conspirare (in a 2009 choral arrangement by Craig Hella Johnson), The Wailin’ Jennys (on their 2017 album Fifteen), and others. Miley Cyrus performed a version on the May 8, 2021, episode of Saturday Night Live.
Session and release documentation place the original recording in 1976, with the single and album following in early 1977. The track structure consists of verses and a recurring chorus centered on the title phrase. Publishing is attributed to Parton as sole songwriter.
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Lyric
It's been a long dark night And I've been a-waiting for the morning It's been a long hard fight But I see a brand new day dawning I've been looking for the sunshine You know I ain't seen it in so long But everything's gonna work out just fine And everything's gonna be all right That's been all wrong 'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning I can see the light of a brand new day I can see the light of a clear blue morning Oh, and everything's gonna be all right It's gonna be okay It's been a long, long time Since I've known the taste of freedom Those clinging vines That had me bound, well, I don't need 'em Oh, I've been like a captured eagle You know an eagle is born to fly Now that I have won my freedom Like an eagle, I am eager for the sky 'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning I can see the light of a brand new day I can see the light of a clear blue morning Oh, and everything's gonna be all right It's gonna be okay I can see the light of a clear blue morning I can see the light of a brand new day I can see the light of a clear blue morning Oh, and everything's gonna be all right It's gonna be okay