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
Burning the Midnight Oil
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seems we're at a loss for what to say
Ties bind us both with someone else
We don't want to hurt but we must break away
And tonight I'll sit home a thinking
And tonight I'll sit home a drinking
We both live in separate homes where there's no love at all
[ fiddle - steel ]
Tomorrow we'll meet here in the same place
Where love and desires just won't wait
In each other's arms we'll dream for a little while
Then when it's time to leave it'll nearly drive us wild
And tonight again I'll sit home a thinking...
Stayin' up late burning the midnight oil
The lyrics to Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner's "Burning the Midnight Oil" describe the difficult situation of two people who are tied to other partners but are drawn to each other. They don't want to hurt anyone but know they must break away, yet they struggle to find the words or the courage to do so. The song paints a picture of two individuals who find solace in each other's company and the dreams they share, but the reality of their situation always comes crashing in, leaving them feeling restless and dissatisfied.
The chorus of the song, "Stayin' up late burning the midnight oil," serves as a metaphor for the intense emotions that the two protagonists are feeling. They are staying up late, unable to sleep, and their passion and desire for each other are consuming them like a burning flame. The instruments, particularly the fiddle and steel guitar, enhance the melancholy tone of the song and add to the sense of longing and yearning in the lyrics.
Overall, "Burning the Midnight Oil" is a poignant and emotive portrayal of love between two people who are unable to be together due to circumstances beyond their control. It captures the pain, frustration, and hopelessness involved in such a situation and delivers it with simple yet powerful lyrics and an evocative melody.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we sit lookin' at each other
We are sitting and staring at each other, but we don't know what to say.
Seems we're at a loss for what to say
We are speechless and unsure of what to communicate with each other.
Ties bind us both with someone else
We are in relationships with other people, which makes it difficult for us to be together.
We don't want to hurt but we must break away
We care about our partners, but we know we need to end our relationships to be together.
And tonight I'll sit home a thinking
I'll be alone at home, contemplating our situation.
And tonight I'll sit home a drinking
I'll be alone at home, drinking to numb my emotions.
We both live in separate homes where there's no love at all
Our current relationships lack love, and we live apart from each other.
Stayin' up late burning the midnight oil
We stay up late, struggling to figure out how we can be together.
Tomorrow we'll meet here in the same place
We plan to meet again tomorrow in the same location.
Where love and desires just won't wait
We can't resist our feelings for each other and need to be together.
In each other's arms we'll dream for a little while
We will hold each other and dream about a future where we can be together.
Then when it's time to leave it'll nearly drive us wild
Saying goodbye is painful and almost unbearable for us.
And tonight again I'll sit home a thinking...
Once again, I'll be alone at home, contemplating our situation.
Stayin' up late burning the midnight oil
We continue to struggle with our emotions late into the night.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PORTER WAGONER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thisisspbok
Picking up my lover from the grocery store...
@hm-td6gh
Youre gonna make me cry 😭
@thisisspbok
@@hm-td6gh too soon buddy? lol 😹😝💁🏾♀️
@user-gy4xp2tu6f
life is strangle
@dennismeadows9427
That's good Anna.Dolly sings it like you do too!!!!