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
Almost In Love
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mama, I remember what you told me
You said you wait for love before you fall
But, mama, I am sorry, I guess it's gonna be love after all
'Cause mama, when he holds me
The air is thick and sweet
He asked me if I'd come tonight
And I'm almost in love
I can feel myself fallin'
Yes, I'm almost in love
I can hear my heart fallin'
'Cause I'm almost in
Yes, I'm almost in love
Mama, I've grown into a woman
I been growing stronger and stronger day by day
Mama, you know about children
You raise them then they'll go away
Mama, when he holds me
He thrills me through and through
So dry your eyes and teach me how to say goodbye to you
And I'm almost in love
I can feel myself fallin'
Yes, I'm almost in love
I can hear my heart fallin'
'Cause I'm almost in
Yes, I'm almost in love
Yes I'm almost in love
I can feel myself fallin'
Yes I'm almost in love
I can hear my heart fallin'
Yes I'm almost in love
I can feel myself fallin'
Yes I'm almost in love
I can hear my heart fallin'
'Cause I'm almost
Yes, I'm almost in love
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's "Almost In Love" speaks of a woman, who is torn between the advice of her mother and her feelings for her lover. The woman's mother has always taught her to wait until love comes before falling in love. However, the woman finds herself almost in love with her lover despite her mother's warning. When her lover holds her, she feels as though the air around her is sweet, which intensifies her feelings.
The singer of the song speaks of growing up and becoming stronger and more independent day by day, just as her mother had instructed her. However, the singer also understands that just as her mother had raised her, she too must grow, move on, and find her own happiness in life. She wishes to do that with her lover, but she also knows that it means she must leave her mother, resulting in her mother's tears. The singer feels herself falling in love with her lover and her heart being captured by him, but she remains unsure if her feelings will be long-lasting and if this will ultimately be true love.
The song's message, therefore, is that love cannot be guided, predicted, or even explained – it simply happens. The singer's mother insists that love must come before falling in love, yet the singer falls in love first, then seeks love. Ultimately, the singer acknowledges the love she feels and the emotional conflict, and she accepts that she is almost in love with her lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama, I remember what you told me
I recall the advice you gave me
You said you wait for love before you fall
You advised me to wait for love before giving in to it
But, mama, I am sorry, I guess it's gonna be love after all
I apologize, but I think I'm falling in love regardless of your advice
'Cause mama, when he holds me
The air is thick and sweet
He asked me if I'd come tonight
And hold him in his sleep
Because when he embraces me, it feels warm and comforting, and he has asked me to spend the night and be with him while he sleeps
And I'm almost in love
I can feel myself fallin'
Yes, I'm almost in love
I can hear my heart fallin'
I'm close to being in love, and I can feel myself falling for him
'Cause I'm almost in
Yes, I'm almost in love
I'm on the verge of falling in love
Mama, I've grown into a woman
I been growing stronger and stronger day by day
Mama, you know about children
You raise them then they'll go away
I've become an adult and I'm becoming more independent every day, just as you know that children grow up and eventually leave
Mama, when he holds me
He thrills me through and through
So dry your eyes and teach me how to say goodbye to you
When he embraces me, it fills me with joy, but please teach me how to let go of you and say goodbye as I move on in my romantic life
Yes I'm almost in love
I can feel myself fallin'
Yes I'm almost in love
I can hear my heart fallin'
I'm so close to being in love that I can feel myself falling and my heart beating faster
Yes I'm almost in love
I can feel myself fallin'
Yes I'm almost in love
I can hear my heart fallin'
'Cause I'm almost
Yes, I'm almost in love
I'm almost in love and I can feel myself falling for him, and my heart is beating faster because of it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DEAN PARKS, DOUG THIELE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zinnie Boy
Dolly is the greatest ever! She will forever be my all-time favorite. :)
Gavin Stone
Two Songs: Almost In Love ( Dolly )
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic ( Police )
Ive never been in love before ( 16 yrs old ), but these two songs give me a glimpse of what it's like. BEAUTIFUL
Martin Hull
Dolly is great ❤️
teriw56
Dolly is anointed.
Huntinbear
I Love that pic from the Rainbow Cd. So Gorgeous!!!!!