Janelle Arthur enlists the vocal help of a fellow East Tennesseean, Dolly Parton, in her latest video for “Hand Me Downs.” Highlighting the profound connection we all have to our families and the memories stored in their heirlooms, the footage from Natalie Simmons and Scrutny Productions blends home videos, Parton’s voice as if singing from a record for a duet with Arthur, plus yes, numerous of the performers own hand me downs.
“To have my mother, my dad, my grandparents, and so many special heirlooms featured in the video made this video much more meaningful than any music video I’ve done in the past,” says Arthur to CMT. “The video is an exact representation of the lyrics. From my grandmother’s rings, my dad’s brown eyes, to my grandfather’s Bible, the baby outfit that I came home from the hospital in, to wearing my great, great grandmother’s dress, to the home movies; being able to show what I was writing about brings the lyrics to life,” she adds.
“To have Dolly’s vocals included just made it that much more meaningful,” Arthur continues. “I remember a point in the day when the emotions hit me because I was singing about the reality of what I was experiencing in my personal life with expecting a daughter of my own. It’s overwhelming. I hope that the video and song reminds people of what makes them who they are. I am so excited to finally have something so special and personal to share with the world.”