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
Back Home
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes, I'm going back home
Why I can't believe it's been this long
Since I've seen mom and dad
When I left my mountain home behind
I left them both so sad
My brothers and my sisters that were babies then are grown
Years have past and now at last, I'm on my way back home
Back home, back home
Yes I'm going back home
To the factory smoke and city life, I'm sayin' so long
I've shed a lot of tears through all the years that I've been gone
And I've spent a lot of time a' wishin' I could go back home
I got a letter from mama an'
Mama asked me if I'd come back home
She says it sure is lonesome now
Since all of us kids are all growed up and gone
I just can't hardly stand the thoughts of
Momma and daddy being left there all alone
That's really all I need to know
And now I'm on the road back home
Back home, back home
Yes, I'm going back home
To the smog an' smoke an' city life, I'm sayin' so long
I've shed a lot of tears through all the years that I've been gone
And I've spent a lot of time a' wishin' I could go back home
Back home, back home
Yes, I'm going back home
Dolly Parton's "Back Home" is a heartfelt song about the singer's journey back to her mountain home, where her family and childhood memories reside. The song reminisces about the family that she left behind, who have now grown up, and the pressing desire to return to the simple life she once knew. The song begins with Dolly questioning the amount of time that has elapsed since she last visited home. She has spent an extensive period in the city, and it is clear that her head and heart yearn for the countryside. She recalls how sad her parents were when she first left, and how her siblings have all grown up while she's been away. She paints a picture of how time has passed, and she has been in the big city for years, living amidst factory smoke and a city's hustle and bustle.
The triggering factor for Dolly's return is a letter from her mother requesting her to come back. The news of her parents being left alone compels her to leave the city and head back to her hometown. She describes how her thoughts are solely focused on her parents and how she finds it unbearable to think about them being left to fend for themselves. This realization forms the climax of the song and signals Dolly's willingness to leave the city and go back to her roots.
Overall, "Back Home" is a poignant tale of coming back to where one's heart lies. Dolly's emotive voice represents feelings of nostalgia, longing, and love, making the song a relatable experience for anyone who has left home and wants to go back.
Line by Line Meaning
Back home, back home
I am returning to my hometown.
Yes, I'm going back home
I am excited to be heading back to my hometown.
Why I can't believe it's been this long
It's been a long time since I visited my parents.
Since I've seen mom and dad
It has been a while since I saw my parents.
When I left my mountain home behind
I left my hometown when I moved away.
I left them both so sad
My departure was hard for my parents to bear.
My brothers and my sisters that were babies then are grown
My siblings were young when I left, but now they are adults.
Years have past and now at last, I'm on my way back home
I have been away from my hometown for a long time, but now I am finally returning.
To the factory smoke and city life, I'm sayin' so long
I am leaving behind the urban lifestyle that I have been living.
I've shed a lot of tears through all the years that I've been gone
I have been emotional about being away from my hometown for so long.
And I've spent a lot of time a' wishin' I could go back home
I have been wishing to return to my hometown for a long time.
I got a letter from mama an' Mama asked me if I'd come back home
My mother reached out to me and asked if I would visit.
She says it sure is lonesome now, Since all of us kids are all growed up and gone
My parents are lonely now that all their children have grown up and moved away.
I just can't hardly stand the thoughts of Momma and daddy being left there all alone
The idea of my parents being alone is too upsetting for me to handle.
That's really all I need to know
My mother's letter was all the motivation I needed to return home.
And now I'm on the road back home
I am currently travelling back to my hometown.
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.