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
But You Know That I Love You
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Streaks across my room
And I'm wakin' up
From another dream of you
Yes, you know I'm on the road
Once again it seems
All that's left behind
Is a chain of broken dreams
But you know that I love you
You know that I love you
Oh, I love you
And how I wish that love
Was all we'd need to live
What a life we'd have
'Cause I've got so much to give
But ya' know I feel so sad
Down inside my heart
That the dollar sign
Should be keepin' us apart
But you know that I love you
You know that I love you
Oh, how I love you
And if only I could find my way back to the time
When the problems of this life
Had not yet crossed my mind
And the answers could be found in children's nursery rhymes
I'd come runnin' back to you
I'd come runnin' back to you
But you know we can't
Live on dreams alone
Got to pay the rent
So I must leave you all alone
'Cause you know I made my choice many years ago
And now this travelin' life
Well, it's the only life I know
But you know that I love you
You know that I love you
Oh, I love you
But you know that I love you
You know that I love you
Oh, how I love you
But you know that I love you
You know that I love you
Oh, how I love you
But you know I love you
But you know I love you
Oh, I love you
But you know that I love you
But you know that I love you
Oh, how I love you
But you know that I love you
But you know that I love you
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's song "But You Know That I Love You" speak of the struggle between love and the harsh demands of reality. The song begins with the image of the morning sun coming in and waking the singer up from a dream of her loved one. She has to hit the road again, abandoning her dreams and promises to her partner. She confesses her love, wishing that it would be the only thing needed to live a fulfilled life.
However, the song also acknowledges the financial and practical difficulties that come with making a living. Her heart is heavy knowing that money keeps them apart. If only they could go back to a simpler time, where problems were just nursery rhymes and not the everyday struggle to survive. Despite all this, the singer affirms her love for the person she is leaving behind, acknowledging that it is her choice to continue traveling even though it requires leaving her love behind.
The song speaks to the everyday struggle of choosing between love and practicality. It illustrates the pain of having to leave someone behind but the determination to chase one's dreams. The song is also about hope, longing, and the universal theme of the triumph of love over distance, time, and other practicalities.
Line by Line Meaning
When the mornin' sun Streaks across my room And I'm wakin' up From another dream of you
Every morning when I wake up and see the sun shining in my room, I remember the dream I had of you
Yes, you know I'm on the road Once again it seems All that's left behind Is a chain of broken dreams
You already know that I am travelling again and all I am leaving behind is a trail of shattered dreams
And how I wish that love Was all we'd need to live What a life we'd have 'Cause I've got so much to give
I wish that love was enough to sustain us forever and we could lead a beautiful life together, because I have so much love to offer
But ya' know I feel so sad Down inside my heart That the dollar sign Should be keepin' us apart
But it's unfortunate that money is the reason that is keeping us apart and it breaks my heart
And if only I could find my way back to the time When the problems of this life Had not yet crossed my mind And the answers could be found in children's nursery rhymes I'd come runnin' back to you I'd come runnin' back to you
If only I could go back to a simpler time when I didn't have any problems and everything was easy, just like in nursery rhymes, I'd come back to you without hesitation
But you know we can't Live on dreams alone Got to pay the rent So I must leave you all alone
But we can't survive on just dreams and love alone, we need to pay the bills and survive, so unfortunately I have to leave you alone
'Cause you know I made my choice many years ago And now this travelin' life Well, it's the only life I know
I made the decision to live this travelling life many years ago and now it's the only life that I know, which is why I have to keep going
But you know that I love you You know that I love you Oh, I love you
Despite all of these complications, please know that I love you so much
But you know I love you But you know I love you Oh, I love you But you know that I love you But you know that I love you Oh, how I love you But you know that I love you But you know that I love you
Just to reiterate, you should always remember that I love you, no matter what the circumstances are
Lyrics © UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING,
Written by: MIKE SETTLE
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.