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
Baby I
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your eyes reflect love and desire
I see that you need me I need you to please me
You touch me and set me on fire
The way that you love me the way that you touch me
The way that you whisper my name
I cannot resist you each time I kiss you
Then everything goes up in flames
Baby I'm burnin' out of control baby I'm burnin' body and soul
Hot as a pistol that flamin' desire baby I'm burnin' you've got me on fire
I'm on fire
This red hot emotion puts fireworks in motion
It looks like the 4th of July
There's no use in fighting this fire you've ignited
Just stand back and watch the sparks fly
Baby I'm burnin' out of control...
Baby I'm burnin' baby I'm burnin' baby I'm burnin' baby I'm burnin'
Baby I'm burnin' out of control...
Baby I'm burnin' out of control...
Dolly Parton's "Baby I" is a song about a powerful and intense attraction between two people. In the opening verses, Dolly describes how the way her lover looks at her conveys a message of love and desire. She acknowledges that her partner needs her just as much as she needs them to feel fulfilled. When they touch each other, they create an all-consuming fire that engulfs them both. This passion is so strong that it cannot be resisted or contained, leading to a burst of emotions - like fireworks on the 4th of July. She acknowledges that the fire burns so fiercely it is practically out of control, but she cannot extinguish it.
The lyrics are fairly straightforward, describing the palpable chemistry between two people. The repetition of the refrain emphasizes the intensity of the emotion, and the allusions to fire and explosions add to the sense of uncontrollable passion. The song's message is that sometimes, despite our better reasoning, our hearts take over and we follow them wherever they may lead.
Line by Line Meaning
You look at me that way I know what your eyes say
You give me that special look, and I know that your eyes are expressing love and attraction for me.
I see that you need me I need you to please me
I can sense that you rely on me for something, and how much I crave your affection for my personal fulfillment.
You touch me and set me on fire
Your physical touch inflames desire and passion inside me.
The way that you love me the way that you touch me
The way that you whisper my name
Your love, touch, and gentle whispers have an irresistible effect on me.
I cannot resist you each time I kiss you
Then everything goes up in flames
Whenever I kiss you, my passionate desire for you becomes stronger, making me feel like I am on fire.
Baby I'm burnin' out of control baby I'm burnin' body and soul
Hot as a pistol that flamin' desire baby I'm burnin' you've got me on fire
I'm on fire
The intensity of my love and attraction for you has reached a level of being out of control, becoming an unquenchable flame that engulfs my entire being.
This red hot emotion puts fireworks in motion
It looks like the 4th of July
Our passionate love creates an explosion of intense emotions, resembling the colorful and explosive fireworks of the Independence Day of July 4th.
There's no use in fighting this fire you've ignited
Just stand back and watch the sparks fly
There is no point in resisting this powerful flame of love that you have set ablaze within me. It's worth experiencing the emotional sparks that are sure to ignite between us.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@craigbrown9029
Another contending song for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee...
You do deserve this award.
Cheers from Down Under.
@alexhong9119
My favourite song from Dolly!🦋
@harsimranbhullar9100
I love this song.
@ameraathena
Beautiful song 🎵
@adventureswiththemcguires9678
Made my night can't sleep Dolly your awesome.my hubby is sick we just moved a hospital bed into our home and I just can't sleep without him in our room. It breaks my heart to see him so sick covid really took a toll on him thanks for the wonderful songs
@jorgstockly1629
Sweetheart Dolly ✨✨✨
a classic Song ♥️ a Good Oldies so many Memorys 👍👍👍 hope You visit Switzerland for a last Farwell Tour 💞 We wait so many Years 💞 AlwaysTCB Love You Your Friend Jörg 🤠 Ps The New best of Album and Christmas Album are so Amazing You work with Passion 🎼🎸🎼🎸🎼🎸🎼🎸🎼🎸🎼🎸
with Compliments 💋💋💋
@paullacamera8873
That's cool. You're very smart. God bless you, Jorg Stockly..!! How are you doing today I hope you enjoyed the sweet melody of Dolly's song Right 👍? Coz I'm a big fan of Dolly Parton.💞😇👀
@tarstarkusz
I get the feeling this song was done a bit tongue in cheek.
@craigbrown9029
As per Dolly.
@chancemcclelland1022
My favorite also