Parton began performing as a child, singing on local radio and television in East Tennessee. At age 12 she was appearing on Knoxville TV, and at 13, she was recording on a small label and appearing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. When she graduated from high school in 1964 she moved to Nashville, taking many traditional elements of folklore and popular music from East Tennessee with her.
Parton's initial success came as a songwriter, with her songs being covered by Kitty Wells, Hank Williams, Jr., Skeeter Davis, and a number of others. She signed with Monument Records in late 1965, where she was initially pitched as a bubblegum pop singer, earning only one national chart single, "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby," which did not crack the Billboard Top 100. Additional pop singles also failed to chart.
The label agreed to have Parton sing country music after her composition "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" as recorded by Bill Phillips (and with Parton, uncredited, on harmony) went to No. 6 on the country charts in 1966. Her first country single, "Dumb Blonde" (one of the few songs during this era that she recorded but didn't write), reached No. 24 country 1967, followed later the same year with "Something Fishy," which went to No. 17. The two songs anchored her first full-length album, Hello I'm Dolly, that same year.
In 1967, Parton was asked to join the weekly syndicated country music TV program hosted by Porter Wagoner, replacing Norma Jean. She also signed with RCA Records, Wagoner's label, during this period, where she would remain for the next two decades. Wagoner and Parton immediately began a hugely successful career as a vocal duet in addition to their solo work and their first single together, a cover of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind," reached the top ten on the U.S. country charts in late 1967, and was the first of over a dozen duet singles to chart for them during the next several years.
Parton is a hugely successful songwriter, having begun by writing country songs with strong elements of folk music in them based upon her upbringing in humble mountain surroundings. Her songs "Coat of Many Colors" and "Jolene" have become classics in the field, as have a number of others. As a composer, she is also regarded as one of country music's most gifted storytellers, with many of her narrative songs based on persons and events from her childhood.
In 1982 Dolly Parton sang her song "I Will Always Love You", for the movie "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas", starring Parton and Burt Reynolds. The song - originally composed around 1974 - made few ripples, but it wasn't until Whitney Houston re-recorded it for "The Bodyguard" a decade later, that the song made yet another international hit for Dolly Parton. She later put out her own version on the 1996 album of the same name.
In 1987, Parton left her longtime label, RCA, and signed with Columbia Records, where her recording career continued to prosper, but by the mid 1990s, Parton, along with many other performers of her generation, found that her new music was not welcome on country radio playlists. She recorded a series of critically acclaimed bluegrass albums, beginning with "The Grass is Blue" (1999) and "Little Sparrow" (2001), both of which won Grammy Awards. Her 2002 album "Halos and Horns" included a bluegrass version of the Led Zeppelin classic Stairway to Heaven. In 2005, Parton released Those Were The Days, her interpretation of hits from the folk-rock era of the late 1960s through early 1970s. The CD featured such classics as John Lennon's "Imagine," Cat Stevens' "Where Do The Children Play," Tommy James' "Crimson & Clover," and the folk classic "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", as well as the title track.
In 2007, Dolly paved new musical ground by forming her own record label, Dolly Records. The label's first release - Backwoods Barbie - debuted at #2 on the Billboard country albums charts and marks Parton's first mainstream country album in 17 years. Parton is touring North America and Europe throughout 2008 in support of her latest release.
1955
19th Amendment
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Women have been fighting for the legal right to vote since the 1840’s
In 1890 the national american women's suffrage association NAWSA was established with Susan B. Anthony as their leading force
But women had been fighting for their rights since the very beginning of time
First they sound we couldn’t dance then said we couldn’t drink
And Unless some men allowed it they said we couldn’t think
But that was just so much back then we were allowed to do
But the first bite of the apple I guess we filled the truth
That’s when he got smart and that’s why adam don’t like fruit
But that old tree of knowledge had some limbs that broke
We had to fight for women’s rights they said we couldn’t vote
It is the duty of the women of this country to secure their right to vote
We carried signs we cursed the times marched up and down the streets
We had to fight for women’s rights with blisters on our feet
We got tired of seeing all our dreams go up in smoke
Burdens more than we could tote having lies crammed down our throat
But that old damn finally broke when women finally got the right to vote
They said a woman's place was staying in her hut
Washing cooking cleaning wiping babies butts
They said she’d never see the day when she’d pull up to them
But here we are we’ve come so far
I guess we sure showed them
The first bite of the apple I guess we filled the truth
That’s when he got smart and that’s why adam don’t like fruit
But that old tree of knowledge had some limbs that broke
We had to fight for women’s rights they said we couldn’t vote
We were defiant out of mit
But we knew we couldn’t quite
Cause the suffrage amendment must be passed
We protested we cried out finally it came about
Ratified by Tennessee we won at last
The first bite of the apple I guess we filled the truth
That’s when he got smart and that’s why adam don’t like fruit
But that old tree of knowledge had some limbs that broke
We had to fight for women’s rights they said we won the right to vote
They thought we were a joke
They tried to dash our hopes
With every word they spoke
They tried to revoke
A woman’s right to vote
But we made it
And on August 18th 1920 the women’s amendment was ratified
Dolly Parton’s “19th Amendment” is an enlightening tribute that tells the story of the women’s suffrage movement in America. The song is full of metaphors that explicate the struggle of women to achieve the right to vote. It begins with the date, August 18th 1920, when the women’s amendment was ratified into the Constitution of the United States. The lyrics then establish that the fight for women’s rights has been going on since the 1840s, and the National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was set up in 1890 as the leading force, with Susan B. Anthony at the forefront.
The song’s opening verse uses different examples of how women were looked down upon and discriminated against, yet they persisted. Women were told they couldn’t dance, couldn’t drink and were discouraged from thinking. But the women persisted; they spoke even in difficult circumstances “until we were allowed to do”. The imagery used is that of Adam and Eve, this painting of the original sin where Eve tempted Adam in the Garden of Eden with a forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge, forcing humankind out of the Garden of Eden was the reason for the property placed on women in a male-dominated society.
The chorus aptly describes the women's determination to keep fighting even when everything seemed futile. The women marched with signs, shouted slogans, and endured blisters on their feet. They refused to be silenced as their dreams were ignored, and they were belittled by the societal norms. But eventually, the women's perseverance paid off. Tennessee became the last state to pass the 19th Amendment, which was ratified into the Constitution in 1920, giving women the right to vote.
Line by Line Meaning
August 18th 1920 the women’s amendment was ratified
The 19th Amendment was finally ratified on the 18th of August in 1920, granting women the legal right to vote.
Women have been fighting for the legal right to vote since the 1840's
Women have been advocating for their right to vote since the 1840s.
In 1890 the national american women's suffrage association NAWSA was established with Susan B. Anthony as their leading force
The National American Women's Suffrage Association, with Susan B. Anthony as their champion, was set up in 1890.
But women had been fighting for their rights since the very beginning of time
Women have been fighting for equal rights since the beginning of time.
First they sound we couldn’t dance then said we couldn’t drink
At first, they said we couldn't dance and then they claimed we couldn't drink.
And Unless some men allowed it they said we couldn’t think
For some reason, society believed that we couldn't think for ourselves unless a man gave us permission.
They said we shouldn’t speak till we were spoken to
They tried to silence us by saying that we shouldn't speak unless we were asked to.
But that was just so much back then we were allowed to do
However, we didn't follow those rules and did what we wanted to do.
But the first bite of the apple I guess we filled the truth
When we started to question authority, we discovered the truth.
That’s when he got smart and that’s why adam don’t like fruit
That's when men realized what we were up to, and that's probably why Adam has an aversion to fruit.
But that old tree of knowledge had some limbs that broke
However, some branches from that tree of knowledge had to be broken to make progress.
We had to fight for women’s rights they said we couldn’t vote
We had to wage war to secure our rights, particularly the right to vote.
It is the duty of the women of this country to secure their right to vote
It is our responsibility, as women, to fight for our right to vote.
We carried signs we cursed the times marched up and down the streets
We protested and walked through the streets with signs and banners.
We had to fight for women’s rights with blisters on our feet
Our struggle for women's rights was exhaustive and physically draining.
We got tired of seeing all our dreams go up in smoke
We grew tired of our goals and aspirations vanishing into thin air.
Burdens more than we could tote having lies crammed down our throat
We were given impossible tasks to carry and were fed lies.
But that old damn finally broke when women finally got the right to vote
The long struggle finally paid off when women were granted the right to vote.
They said a woman's place was staying in her hut
Society claimed that women belonged in the home, confined to a certain space.
Washing cooking cleaning wiping babies butts
The very minute details of everyday life were attributed to women as their sole responsibilities.
They said she’d never see the day when she’d pull up to them
They didn't think that women would ever have the same freedom they had.
But here we are we’ve come so far
However, women have come farther than expected.
I guess we sure showed them
I suppose we proved them wrong.
We were defiant out of mit
We were stubborn and unyielding until the end.
But we knew we couldn’t quite
But we understood that we couldn't give up.
Cause the suffrage amendment must be passed
Because it was our duty to ensure that the Suffrage Amendment would eventually pass.
We protested we cried out finally it came about
We gathered and voiced our opinion, and eventually, our voices were heard.
Ratified by Tennessee we won at last
Tennessee eventually ratified the 19th Amendment, resulting in our eventual victory.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joyceannbarton2868
Absolutely love the song.
@mattybeats3290
This is amazing!! Great work fam! 🤘
@danielsunmulleavey3024
who the hell gave this tumps down !
@lynthia
I did. Just posted my comment a second ago. The way it presents the story of the Garden of Eden is contrary to scripture. I love the right to vote, free speech, and my faith alike. Doesn't seem like I should have to betray one to support others.
@jillz7654
The 19th Amendment was not ratified on August 18, 1920. That was the day the last necessary state passed the amendment. It did not become law until being officially certified by the U.S. Secretary of State on August 26, 1920.
@kimyoung7906
On 19 September 2018, New Zealand celebrated 125 years of women's suffrage - the first country in the world to achieve universal suffrage to all women. This is proof that no matter how small you can lead the world.
@scottmcadam4509
Are you claiming that female dwarves should be world leaders ? This would just make life harder for them ! They already need a stool to reach the stove , and they are shit at cooking anyways ,
And quick question why are you celebrating the suffering of women , its not funny that they suffered , an you gonna party ! Very disrespectful !
Also you claim new zealand achieved UNIVERSAL blah blah to all women ? New Zealand is only one country ! So how is that UNIVERSAL ? its not ! Why r women so stupid ?
@TheJSmithBA
This song is the devil.