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
All I Can Do
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I can do to keep from letting it show
Yeah, it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from telling you so
I wasn't looking for love when I found you
Just someone to be with and have a good time
But I get these strange funny feelings around you
When you're not with me, you're still on my mind
And it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from letting it show
Yeah it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from telling you so
I had intended to wait for a long time
I thought that love would just mess up my plans
'Cause I had big plans for a bright shining future
Could this be my future that's holding my hand
And it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from letting it show
Yeah it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from telling you so
I need to tell you how I feel about you
But I'm so afraid that you don't feel the same
But if I don't tell you how I feel about you
I just might lose you, can I take that chance?
And it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from letting it show
Yeah it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from telling you so
And it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from letting it show
Yeah it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from telling you so
Yeah it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from letting it show
Yeah it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from telling you so
In Dolly Parton's song "All I Can Do," the singer sings about struggling to contain her growing feelings for someone. She admits to herself that she is afraid to admit these feelings, because it could ruin the good thing they have going. She sings, "I wasn't looking for love when I found you/Just someone to be with and have a good time/But I get these strange funny feelings around you/When you're not with me, you're still on my mind." She recognizes that she needs to tell this person how she feels, but is afraid that they might not feel the same way. She closes the song by acknowledging that she can't hold back her feelings forever, singing "Yeah it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you/All I can do to keep from telling you so."
This song speaks to a universal feeling of falling in love unexpectedly and needing to navigate the uncertain waters of a new relationship. The lyrics are relatable because many people know what it feels like to meet someone they weren't expecting to fall for, and the fear that comes with risking expressing those feelings. Parton manages to capture this sense of vulnerability and uncertainty in a poignant way.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
I am struggling to resist my growing feelings for you.
All I can do to keep from letting it show
I am working hard to hide my emotions from you.
Yeah, it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
My feelings for you are becoming stronger and harder to ignore.
All I can do to keep from telling you so
I want to confess my love to you, but I am holding back.
I wasn't looking for love when I found you
I did not expect to fall in love with you.
Just someone to be with and have a good time
I initially wanted companionship and fun with you.
But I get these strange funny feelings around you
I experience unusual and unanticipated emotions when I'm near you.
When you're not with me, you're still on my mind
I can't stop thinking about you, even when you're not around.
I had intended to wait for a long time
I planned to delay pursuing any romantic feelings.
I thought that love would just mess up my plans
I believed that love would interfere with my future goals and priorities.
'Cause I had big plans for a bright shining future
I had high aspirations for my future and didn't want love to distract me.
Could this be my future that's holding my hand
I wonder if my future could be with you, since we have a connection.
I need to tell you how I feel about you
I feel the urge to confess my love to you.
But I'm so afraid that you don't feel the same
I am scared that you do not reciprocate my feelings.
But if I don't tell you how I feel about you
I may regret not sharing my emotions with you.
I just might lose you, can I take that chance?
I don't want to risk losing you by expressing my love and being rejected.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Romy K.
on Gypsy Joe And Me
As a matter of fact she's contemplating suicide standing on the bridge, that's how they'll be together again.