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 ↴
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 wasn't looking for love when I found you
Just someone to be with and have a good time
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
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's "All I Can Do" express the internal struggle of falling in love with someone unexpectedly and not knowing whether or not to express those feelings. The first stanza introduces the idea that the singer is trying to resist falling in love with someone. They do not want to express these feelings and risk ruining what they have. However, the more time they spend with this person, the harder it becomes for them to control their emotions.
The second stanza delves deeper into the singer's internal battle. They had plans for their future and they do not want to let love interfere with their goals. However, they are beginning to see that the person they have feelings for could be a part of their plan. The third and final stanza reveals that the singer wants to express their feelings to this person but is afraid of rejection. They do not want to jeopardize what they have, but they also fear that holding back will lead to losing the person they love. The repetition of the phrase "all I can do" throughout the song emphasizes the struggle and difficulty the singer is having in trying to restrain themselves from falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
It's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
I'm struggling to control my feelings and avoid falling in love with you
All I can do to keep from letting it show
I'm trying hard to keep my love hidden and not show it to you
Yeah it's all I can do to keep from falling in love with you
Despite my efforts, I'm finding it difficult not to fall in love with you
All I can do to keep from telling you so
I'm holding back from expressing my love for you
I wasn't looking for love when I found you
I didn't expect to fall in love with you when we met
Just someone to be with and have a good time
Initially, I was just looking for companionship and fun
But I get these strange funny feelings around you
Being around you gives me unexpected and curious sensations
When you're not with me, you're still on my mind
I think about you even when you're not present
I had intended to wait for a long time
My plan was to delay seeking love for a while
I thought that love would just mess up my plans
I believed that falling in love would disrupt my future goals
Could this be my future that's holding my hand
I wonder if you are the person who will be in my future
I need to tell you how I feel about you
It's important for me to express my emotions to you
But I'm so afraid that you don't feel the same
I'm scared that you don't reciprocate my love
But if I don't tell you how I feel about you
If I keep my feelings to myself
I just might lose you, can I take that chance
There's a risk of losing you, and I have to decide if it's worth taking the chance
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
lateksowykociak
love the elbow dance, Dolly looks fab as always!;) apart from your music, the make-up the hair and clothing everthing is JUST right! pure,pure talent:) This is such a pleasure to admire such complete artist and woman!!! perfection
Ed Camp
Dolly is and always be the best in country and pop music!!..LOVE DOLLY!!
countrygirl country musiclover
Ed Camp SHE IS AS FAR FROM POP AS YOU CAN GET DUMB ASS. JUST BECAUSE SHE MAY OF HAD SONGS GET PLAYED ON POP STATIONS DOES NOT MAKE HER THE SLIGHTEST BIT CLOSE TO POP. SHE WAS A COUNTRY SINGER HAVING COUNTRY SONGS PLAYED ON POP RADIO.
J H
I love it!
Emily Norman
Dolly is so, so talented!
Allan Kent - Fisher
Excellent ❤
Gwen Weaver
That was great! Dolly is so talented and blessed. Beautiful!!
cxd2you
I LOVE LOVE DOLLY SINGING THIS SONG ! PLAY IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER - ALWAYS - ON MY ROAD TRIPS TO DW AND DMR - :)
Todo mundo, menos você!
Dolly <3
Jerry Bradshaw
where is this from? I remember a medley and this is the one I'm pretty sure - where can I find the entire clip?