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
Because I Love You
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And wonder who I was before I loved you
Lying here beside you feeling so complete
Thinking how I love and need and trust you
Because I love you I'm a brand new person now because you love me
I can face the world and have the cause I love you
Because you love me because I love you
And let you soon awake and reach to hold me
And anyway you want me that's the way that I am yours
Love as strong as this lets you control me
Because I love you...
Because I love you...
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's "Because I Love You" express the depth of love and commitment to a partner. The song is an ode to the transformative power of love and how being in love can change a person completely. In the first verse, the singer describes lying next to her partner, watching them while they're asleep, and wondering who she was before she met them. The love she has for her significant other has transformed her into a new person, someone who can face the world with confidence because she knows her partner loves her.
In the chorus, the singer repeats the phrase "Because I love you" and says that she is a new person because of her lover's love. She is grateful for this transformation and feels complete because of the love they share. In the second verse, the singer talks about how sweet it is to be held and loved by her partner. She describes the bond they share as one that allows her partner to control her, but she is happy to be under their control because she loves them so much.
Overall, the lyrics of "Because I Love You" are about the power of love to change a person's life completely. The singer is grateful for the love of her partner and feels like a brand new person because of it. The love they share is all-encompassing and allows her to face the world with confidence.
Line by Line Meaning
I lie in bed beside you and watch you while you sleep
As I lay next to you, my heart fills with love and joy while watching you rest peacefully, wondering who I was before you came into my life.
And wonder who I was before I loved you
I ponder on the thought of who I might have been before I met and fell in love with you.
Lying here beside you feeling so complete
As I lay beside you, I feel whole and complete, knowing that I am with the one I love and cherish above all.
Thinking how I love and need and trust you
Thoughts of how much I truly love, need, and trust you, fill my mind as I lay here next to you.
Because I love you I'm a brand new person now because you love me
Loving you has changed me and made me a better, brand new person, and I owe it all to your love towards me.
I can face the world and have the cause I love you
With the love that we have for each other, I can face the world and overcome anything that comes our way.
Because you love me because I love you
Our love for each other is the reason we are together, and it's because of this love that we share that we will always be together.
Sweeter even still is knowing that you're lying there
The thought of you lying next to me, brings a sweet smile to my face as I think about how precious our moments together are.
And let you soon awake and reach to hold me
Knowing that you will soon wake up and reach out for me with a warm embrace, fills my heart with so much love and happiness.
And anyway you want me that's the way that I am yours
My love for you is so strong that I am completely yours, in any way that you want me, and I am happy to be yours in every way.
Love as strong as this lets you control me
Our love for each other is so strong that it allows you to have control over my heart and every aspect of my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Because I love you...
My love for you is so strong that it has the power to change me, and I will always love you, no matter what happens in our lives.
Because I love you...
Our love for each other is the foundation of our relationship, and it's because of this love that we will always be happy and together for many years to come.
Contributed by Alexandra K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.