rocks and stones

[Orin Hargraves]

Here’s something that’s been bugging me: Dolly Parton released a song in
1980, “Shattered Image,” with a recurring line, “shatter my image with the
rocks you throw.” It is recorded in a new version on her relatively recent
(2002) album  “Halos and Horns,” but the word “rocks” is systematically
changed to “stones” throughout. What’s that about? “Rocks” is certainly the
word I would have chosen in the context, but somewhere along the line I got
a notion that “stones” would be the choice for an E coast or urban speaker.
She has always touted rather than tried to disguise her bumpkin origins, so
I wonder what the vocab makeover was about. Any ideas or inside info?

Orin Hargraves
(at one time neither E coast nor urban)