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
Cash On The Barrelhead
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lord, they put me in the jailhouse
For loafing on the street
Well, the judge said guilty
He made his point
He said forty-five dollars
Or thirty days in the joint
You can take your choice
You're twenty-one
No money down
No credit plan
No time to chase you
'Cause I'm a busy man
I found a telephone number on a laundry slip
I had a good, hardy jailor
With a six gun hip
He let me call long distance
She said, "Number, please"
And just as soon as I told her
She shouted back at me
Said that'll be cash on the barrelhead, hun
Not part, not half
But the entire sum
No money down
No credit line
'Cause a little boy tells me
You're the travelin' kind
Thirty days in the jailhouse
Four days on the road
I was feelin' mighty hungry
My feet, a heavy load
I saw a Greyhound comin'
Stuck out my thumb
As soon as I was seated
The driver caught my arm
Said that'll be cash on the barrelhead, hun
This old, grey dog gets paid to run
When the engine starts
And the wheels will roll
Give me cash on the barrelhead
I take ya down the road
Ohh, cash on the barrelhead
I take you down the road
In Dolly Parton's song "Cash On The Barrelhead," the lyrics describe the singer's experience of getting in trouble with the law and facing a fine of either $45 or 30 days in jail. The phrase "cash on the barrelhead" is used throughout the song to emphasize the immediate need for payment, with no credit or payment plans available.
The lyrics also describe the singer's resourcefulness in finding a telephone number on a laundry slip and using it to call someone who could help them pay the fine. The song takes a turn towards a more positive note, as the singer is able to get out of jail and catch a ride on a Greyhound bus. However, even the bus driver requires "cash on the barrelhead."
Overall, the song seems to be about the struggles of poverty and the need for immediate payment, even when it seems impossible. The use of the phrase "cash on the barrelhead" and the repeated descriptions of having no credit or payment plan available create a sense of urgency and desperation.
Line by Line Meaning
I got in a little trouble at the county seat
I got into some trouble when I was in town
Lord, they put me in the jailhouse
I was put in jail
For loafing on the street
They arrested me for just hanging around outside
Well, the judge said guilty
I was found guilty by the judge
He made his point
The judge was trying to teach me a lesson
He said forty-five dollars
The judge gave me a fine of $45
Or thirty days in the joint
If I didn't pay the fine, I would have to spend 30 days in jail
That'll be cash on the barrelhead, hun
You need to pay cash upfront
You can take your choice
You have the option to choose
You're twenty-one
You're legally an adult
No money down
You can't pay in installments
No credit plan
You can't pay later
No time to chase you
I don't have time to go after you if you don't pay
'Cause I'm a busy man
I'm too busy to deal with late payments
I found a telephone number on a laundry slip
I found a phone number on a piece of paper
I had a good, hardy jailor
The jailer was tough and strong
With a six gun hip
He was carrying a gun
He let me call long distance
He allowed me to make a long-distance call
She said, "Number, please"
The person who answered the phone asked for my number
And just as soon as I told her
As soon as I gave her the number
She shouted back at me
She responded loudly
Said that'll be cash on the barrelhead, hun
I have to pay cash upfront
Not part, not half
I have to pay the full amount
But the entire sum
I can't pay in installments
'Cause a little boy tells me
I heard from someone that
You're the travelin' kind
You're someone who likes to travel
Thirty days in the jailhouse
I spent a month in jail
Four days on the road
I traveled for four days
I was feelin' mighty hungry
I was really hungry
My feet, a heavy load
My feet were tired from walking
I saw a Greyhound comin'
I saw a Greyhound bus coming
Stuck out my thumb
I hitchhiked
As soon as I was seated
As soon as I got on the bus
The driver caught my arm
The driver stopped me
This old, grey dog gets paid to run
The bus driver gets paid to drive
When the engine starts
When the bus starts moving
And the wheels will roll
When the wheels start turning
Give me cash on the barrelhead
I need cash upfront
I take ya down the road
I'll take you to your destination
Ohh, cash on the barrelhead
Once again, I need cash upfront
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLES LOUVIN, IRA LOUVIN
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.