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
Blackie Kentucky
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In my home town of Blackie, Kentucky
He came passin' through one dark, gloomy day
And I considered myself as lucky
When he told me he would take me away
And though he was older, it made me no difference
His promise of riches was all I could see
And know something better than sad poverty
Blackie, Kentucky, you know that I'll miss you
But there are other places in the world I'd like to see
So I must take this chance to be somethin' more than nothin'
But I'll always hold you in my memory
But I've never adjusted to sociable livin'
The friends that he knows, they're all strangers to me
Thousands of miles from Blackie, Kentucky
In a mansion with a husband that never loved me
He won't let my family and friends come to visit
Because they are country and poor, he's ashamed
Oh, but I'd give my life, Lord, if I could just go see them
All that's changed about me is my name
Blackie, Kentucky, oh Lord, how I miss you
If I could come back home, I'd never leave you anymore
I'd like to see my poor, hardworking, coal-minin' Daddy
And Mama, and the kids, and the friends I knew before
My world is as black as the coal in Kentucky
He won't let me leave him - there's no way to win
I'll take my own life, dear God, please forgive me
But I've got to get back home to Blackie once again
An' I've left him a note, in the mornin' he'll find it
It's my last request and he can't refuse me
I've told him to bury me back in Blackie, Kentucky
Where my family and my friends can come and visit me
Blackie, Kentucky I'm comin' home to you
But different from the way you remember me before
So make me a place and I'll lay me down to rest
And I'll sleep in your arms forevermore
I'll sleep in your arms forever more
Dolly Parton's song "Blackie, Kentucky" tells the story of a woman who dreams of leaving her hometown of Blackie, Kentucky for a better life. A man passing through offers to take her away, promising her riches and freedom from the coal mines. She accepts, despite the age difference between them, seeing it as a chance to escape from the poverty and sadness of her current life. However, the reality of her new life is not what she expected. She struggles to adjust to the wealth and social status of her husband and his friends, who are all strangers to her, and she is not allowed to see her family and old friends because her husband is ashamed of their poverty. The woman eventually becomes so distraught that she takes her own life and requests to be buried back in Blackie, where she can be near her loved ones once again.
The song is a powerful portrayal of the struggles people face when they leave their hometowns in the hopes of finding a better life, only to realize that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Despite the promises and hopes of a new beginning, it is easy to lose oneself when surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings and people who do not understand or value one's background and identity. The woman's tragic end is a reflection of the difficulties faced by many who leave their homes and communities to chase dreams that may not be as fulfilling as they hoped.
Line by Line Meaning
In my home town of Blackie, Kentucky
I come from the town of Blackie, Kentucky
He came passin' through one dark, gloomy day
A man passed through my town one day
And I considered myself as lucky
I felt fortunate when he showed interest in me
When he told me he would take me away
He promised to take me away from Kentucky
And though he was older, it made me no difference
His age didn't matter to me as long as he promised me a better life
His promise of riches was all I could see
I was blinded by his promise of wealth and it was all I cared about
At last I could leave the coal mines of Kentucky
I saw his proposal as a way to leave my impoverished life working in the coal mines
And know something better than sad poverty
I wanted to escape a life of poverty and experience something better
Blackie, Kentucky, you know that I'll miss you
I will miss my hometown of Blackie, Kentucky
But there are other places in the world I'd like to see
I want to explore places beyond Kentucky
So I must take this chance to be somethin' more than nothin'
I saw this as an opportunity to pursue a better life and become someone important
But I'll always hold you in my memory
Even with my departure, I will always cherish the memories of my hometown
But I've never adjusted to sociable livin'
I struggled to adapt to a more social and wealthy lifestyle
The friends that he knows, they're all strangers to me
I don't know any of his wealthy friends and feel disconnected from them
Thousands of miles from Blackie, Kentucky
I am now thousands of miles away from my hometown
In a mansion with a husband that never loved me
I ended up in a loveless marriage to a wealthy man
He won't let my family and friends come to visit
My husband disapproves of my rural family and friends and won't allow them to visit
Because they are country and poor, he's ashamed
He is embarrassed by their poverty and rural lifestyle
Oh, but I'd give my life, Lord, if I could just go see them
I long to see my family and friends again even if it means sacrificing my life
All that's changed about me is my name
Despite my new life, the only thing that changed was my name
Blackie, Kentucky, oh Lord, how I miss you
I deeply miss my hometown of Blackie, Kentucky
If I could come back home, I'd never leave you anymore
If given the chance, I would never leave my hometown again
I'd like to see my poor, hardworking, coal-minin' Daddy
I long to see my father who worked hard in the coal mines
And Mama, and the kids, and the friends I knew before
I want to see my family, friends, and familiar faces from my past
My world is as black as the coal in Kentucky
My world feels bleak and hopeless
He won't let me leave him - there's no way to win
My controlling, loveless husband won't let me leave him
I'll take my own life, dear God, please forgive me
I feel so trapped and desperate, I contemplate suicide
But I've got to get back home to Blackie once again
My longing to return home to Blackie is so strong, even death won't stop me
An' I've left him a note, in the mornin' he'll find it
I've left my husband a note explaining my desperation
It's my last request and he can't refuse me
I hope he will respect my last wish and bury me in my hometown
I've told him to bury me back in Blackie, Kentucky
My dying wish is to be buried in my beloved hometown
Where my family and my friends can come and visit me
I want to be able to reunite with my loved ones even in death
Blackie, Kentucky I'm comin' home to you
I'm coming back to my hometown of Blackie, Kentucky
But different from the way you remember me before
I've changed from my departure but my love for my hometown remains the same
So make me a place and I'll lay me down to rest
I request a place to rest in my hometown
And I'll sleep in your arms forevermore
Even in death, my love for Blackie, Kentucky will endure
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hopesammy Faith
I feel like crying whenever I listen to this... ever since I first heard it in 2010
Ralph Trevino
I love dolly such a great songwriter beautiful heart and soul
tope adetiba
Memories for evergone
Chilufya C
She is a great singer
Ben Smith
Does anyone know how or why this song came to be written. I'm from Blackey and never new it existed until now
jonathan shepherd
Ben Smith she and Porter traveled the area while on tour and loved the area and the town name. Btw this is what I’m told.
Fil
have waited my whole life to find ppl from Blackey…. Turns out all I had to do was come to this comment section 😩🕺🕺🕺
Randall Porter
Visited there many a time.
WOODY CAMPBELL
I was born in Blackie Ky (as spelled on my birth certificate in a cabin in March 1954
Brenda Brown
mm