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
Both Sides Now
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun they rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done, but clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's cloud's illusions I recall
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels the dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real, I've looked at love that way
But now it's just another show, you leave 'em laughin' when you go
And if you care don't let them know, don't give yourself away
I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all
Tears and fears and feeling proud, to say, "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I've looked at life that way
But now old friends are acting strange they shake their heads, they say
I've changed
But something's lost but something's gained in living every day
I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
The song "Both Sides Now" talks about how the way we perceive life changes over time. The first verse refers to childhood innocence and how the singer used to look at clouds and imagine them as magical things like "angel hair" and "ice cream castles." But now, with age and experience, the clouds only bring darkness and precipitation, blocking the sun and "raining and snowing on everyone." The clouds represent how life can bring down our hopes and dreams, inhibiting us from achieving what we set out to do.
The second verse speaks about how the singer used to look at love and think it was like a fairy tale coming true, with "moons and Junes and Ferris wheels" and "dizzy dancing." But now, after enduring heartbreak and disappointment, love is just another show that people put on and laugh at when it ends. The singer advises not giving yourself away too easily to someone you love, protecting yourself from pain.
Finally, the third verse refers to the passage of time and how life changes. The singer used to dream and scheme with circus crowds, feeling a sense of pride saying "I love you" to someone. But now, old friends no longer understand, and they comment on how much the singer seems to have changed. Living every day is a balancing act, with both things lost and gained along the way. It's a reflection on how life can be unpredictable, and you can only truly understand it by experiencing both the good and the bad.
Line by Line Meaning
Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
In the past, I had optimistic and fanciful thoughts, like the idea of shining hair and castles made out of ice cream.
And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way
I once saw beauty and comfort in every cloud, noticing the fluffy and feather-like appearance they took on.
But now they only block the sun they rain and snow on everyone
However, now when I view the clouds they hinder and cause storms on everyone instead of being a positive and fun sight.
So many things I would have done, but clouds got in my way
I have missed out on numerous opportunities because negative situations arise, clouding my path to success.
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
Through various experiences, both good and bad, I have seen the clouds in a different and more profound way.
From up and down and still somehow
Even though I have viewed them from many different perspectives, I still struggle to comprehend their complexities.
It's cloud's illusions I recall
My memories of clouds are distorted since they would formerly trick me into thinking they were friendly and breezy.
I really don't know clouds at all
Even though I have had many interactions with clouds, I am still unsure about how to react or handle them.
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels the dizzy dancing way you feel
In the past, things were light and happy as if you were flying high on a Ferris wheel.
As every fairy tale comes real, I've looked at love that way
Viewing love as something magical and bright, like something ripped straight from the pages of a storybook.
But now it's just another show, you leave 'em laughin' when you go
Love now feels like an act or a performance, rather than something meaningful and intimate.
And if you care don't let them know, don't give yourself away
If you are vulnerable and show someone you really care, they may use it against you in the end. It's best to remain guarded.
I've looked at love from both sides now
Through happiness and heartbreak, I have seen love in a different light.
From give and take and still somehow
Despite having given love and taken it away, it remains a complicated emotion that is difficult to understand.
It's love's illusions I recall
When I think of love, I remember times when it felt like a lie or a fantasy.
I really don't know love at all
Despite all my experience with love, I still feel clueless about what it really means or how it feels in the end.
Tears and fears and feeling proud, to say, "I love you" right out loud
Life is full of various emotions, like sadness, anxiety, and joy, especially when it comes to openly expressing feelings of love.
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I've looked at life that way
I have viewed life as a grand show, where anything and everything can happen.
But now old friends are acting strange they shake their heads, they say I've changed
Recently, my perception of life may have shifted, causing my close companions to worry about my wellbeing or doubt my beliefs.
But something's lost but something's gained in living every day
Living day by day has both its ups and downs, but they ultimately contribute to personal growth and shaping one's life experiences.
I've looked at life from both sides now
Through good times and bad, I have seen life through a different and more insightful lens.
From win and lose and still somehow
Even though I have seen life through winners and losers, I still marvel at its potential for surprise and growth.
It's life's illusions I recall
My past life memories, both good and bad, continue to haunt or influence my present thoughts and actions.
I really don't know life at all
Despite having a lifetime of experiences, I am still uncertain about how to truly understand or appreciate life's complexities.
Lyrics © Crazy Crow Music / Siquomb Music Publishing
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jennifergriswold6240
I love Dolly and Judy and especially Joni! Great song!
@annseliger164
My favorite version of this song. Beautiful
@judithkaiser1720
I love this Song 🥰
@elizan1003
This is amazing
@williamj.5864
Divine!
@MrAdrianCross
Dolly and Joni, the two sides of nihilism basically.
@jakewalker491
i heard this version of the song first. i wanted to hear the original by Joni, it couldn't be a bigger difference.
@magroves
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day ... is an optimistic statement when it comes from someone who's really been in the trenches. She's realistic, not nihilistic, to me.