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
A Tender Lie
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What I wouldn't give for a tender lie
Say you'll never stop loving me
Just as if it were true
How much more damage now honestly
Could one tender lie do? When we fall so far
Are we wrong to try? To keep out the truth
With a tender lie
And I'll believe that it's true
How much more damage now honestly
Could one tender lie do?
Say you're going to come back to me
And I'll believe that it's true
How much more damage now honestly
Could one tender lie do?
How much more damage now honestly
Could one tender lie do?
Dolly Parton's song "A Tender Lie" is a poignant ballad about heartache and the desperate need to cling to a beautiful deception. The lyrics describe the pain of saying goodbye to a loved one, and the singer's longing for a "tender lie" to soothe her broken heart. She admits to herself that she knows the promise of eternal love is a lie, but wonders if it would be more damaging to face the truth or continue living in the fantasy.
The song explores the existential question of whether it is better to hold onto a beautiful illusion or face the harsh truth. It speaks to the universal human need for comfort and reassurance in the face of pain and loss. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and the melody is hauntingly beautiful, capturing the melancholy mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
As you walk away
As you leave me, I'm left wondering if a lie would provide us with more comfort than the truth.
As we say good-bye
As we part ways, I can't help but wonder if a little false hope might make it easier.
What I wouldn't give
I would do anything to avoid the pain of reality, even if it means embracing a falsehood.
For a tender lie
A small deceit might ease my suffering, so long as I don't have to confront actuality.
Say you'll never stop loving me
Even though we're finished, I'd find solace in a declaration of undying love (even if it's less than truthful).
Just as if it were true
Even if it's an illusion, I'd rather have something pleasant to cling to than face a painful truth.
How much more damage now honestly
Desperately clinging to a false hope might harm us more in the end.
Could one tender lie do?
I'm unsure if a small untruth could be better for us than the truth.
When we fall so far
When we've reached the end of our journey, can a little lie provide us with needed respite?
Are we wrong to try?
Is it unfair to ourselves to give in to illusions to avoid reality?
To keep out the truth
Part of me wants to reject the truth and embrace a comforting falsehood.
With a tender lie
Perhaps a sweet, small falsehood will help ease the pain of knowing the truth.
Say you're gonna come back to me
If you tell me that we'll be reunited, I'll hold onto that promise, even if you don't intend to keep it.
And I'll believe that it's true
I'll choose to believe the lie, even though it's not based on reality.
How much more damage now honestly
Is it better for us to confront the harsh truth, even though it might hurt?
Could one tender lie do?
I'm not sure if a little deception is what we need to overcome the pain of separation.
How much more damage now honestly
I'm realizing that I'm clinging to this lie to avoid the truth, and that the consequences of this could be profound.
Could one tender lie do?
Is it better for me to accept what's painful and true, rather than continue to embrace this little untruth?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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Toleta Armstrong
Love this lady and her talent!
frayjr1970
Truly the pinnacle album , so far, of an illustrious career. I wish she would team up with Steve Buckingham again and put out another album this cohesive with gorgeous performances by all musicians and Dolly’s immaculate vocals being the cherry on top!!!
Toleta Armstrong
Some people don t understand the way songs are born. They don t come necessarilywith truth or a lie but only with the way you feel at the time.
Ruth music
Better to have the truth.....how can a lie be tender?Sometimes one has to go through denial.
KLAY1946
Another fav....so raw and emotional