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
As Much As Always
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I still can't believe you're gone
And I still miss you just as much as always
I hoped I'd get you off my mind
It's been a long time but I find
That I still think of you as much as always
As much as always, as much as always
Just as much as always
I still miss you, still think of you
Just as much as always, as much as always
Just as much as always
I still want you, still need you
Just as much as always
I hoped that I'd find someone else
But there's too much of you still left
And I still love you , just as much as always
I hoped that I'd forget your touch
But I still want it just as much
And I still need it just as much as always
As much as always, as much as always
Just as much as always
As much as always, just as much as always
I still miss you, still think of you
Just as much as always
As much as always, just as much as always
I still love you, oh I do love you
Just as much as always
As much as always, as much as always
I still love you, still want you, just as much as always
As much as always, just as much as always
I still need you still love you
Just as much as always
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's song "As Much As Always" convey the theme of longing and enduring love. The singer expresses their initial hope of not missing the person for too long after their departure, but they admit they still cannot believe they are gone. Despite the passing of time, the singer confesses that they still miss and think of the person just as much as they did before. The repetition of the phrase "as much as always" emphasizes the persistent intensity of their emotions.
The song delves into the singer's struggle to move on. They had hoped to forget the person and find someone else, but they realize that the memories and feelings associated with their former love are still deeply engrained. The mention of the person's touch signifies the physical and emotional connection they shared, highlighting the longing that still exists within the singer. Ultimately, they admit that they still love, want, and need the person just as much as they always have.
Overall, "As Much As Always" explores the enduring nature of love, even in the face of separation and attempts to move on. It showcases the depth of affection that remains unchanged over time, capturing both the pain of missing someone and the inability to let go of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
I hoped I wouldn't miss you long
I had hoped that I wouldn't feel your absence for a prolonged period of time
But I still can't believe you're gone
However, I am still unable to accept the fact that you are no longer here
And I still miss you just as much as always
Furthermore, I continue to feel the same level of longing for you as I always have
I hoped I'd get you off my mind
I had hoped that you would gradually fade from my thoughts
It's been a long time but I find
Although a significant amount of time has passed, I discover
That I still think of you as much as always
That I still ponder upon your memory just as intensely as I always have
As much as always, as much as always
To the same extent as before, to the same extent as before
Just as much as always
Exactly as much as ever
As much as always just as much as always
The level of my emotions remains unchanged, just as it has perpetually been
I still miss you, still think of you
I am still filled with a sense of longing for you and thoughts of you persist
Just as much as always, as much as always
To the same extent as before, to the same extent as before
Just as much as always
Exactly as much as ever
I still want you, still need you
My desires and necessities concerning you remain unchanged
Just as much as always
To the same extent as before
I hoped that I'd find someone else
I had hoped that I would discover another person to fill the void
But there's too much of you still left
However, there remains an overwhelming presence of you within me
And I still love you, just as much as always
Thus, my love for you endures without change, just as it always has
I hoped that I'd forget your touch
I had hoped that the memory of your touch would fade away
But I still want it just as much
Yet, I still yearn for it to the same degree as always
And I still need it just as much as always
Furthermore, I still crave it with the same intensity as I always have
I still love you, oh I do love you
I still possess deep affection for you, oh I truly do
As much as always, as much as always
To the same extent as before, to the same extent as before
Just as much as always
Exactly as much as ever
As much as always, just as much as always
The level of my emotions remains unchanged, just as it has perpetually been
I still miss you, still think of you
I am still filled with a sense of longing for you and thoughts of you persist
Just as much as always
To the same extent as before
As much as always, just as much as always
The level of my emotions remains unchanged, just as it has perpetually been
I still love you, oh I do love you
I still possess deep affection for you, oh I truly do
As much as always, as much as always
To the same extent as before, to the same extent as before
I still love you, still want you, just as much as always
My love for you persists, my desire for you remains, exactly as it always has
As much as always, just as much as always
To the same extent as before, to the same extent as before
I still need you still love you
I still require you and I still have affection for you
Just as much as always
Exactly as much as ever
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.