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
Cologne
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She'll know you've been with me alone
And you can't take our secret home
So you ask me not to wear cologne
You can wipe the make up off
The lipstick or a little gloss
But fragrance lingers on and on
You leave my bed and go to hers
Leaving me alone and hurt
I love you whether right or wrong
And you ask me not to wear cologne
I'm not out to hurt someone
Not you, not her, not any one
But I got heartaches of my own
Why, I can't even wear cologne
Oh but I never meant for this to be
It wasn't in my heart to cheat
Love has a nature all it's own
So I willingly gave up cologne
And every time you come to me
I realize I'm in too deep
I know you love us both and I keep holding on
You ask me not to wear cologne
You say, "Don't wear cologne"
Oh now what am I ever gonna do
Cause I am so in love with you
I know you love us both
But where do I belong
You ask me not to wear cologne
You ask me not to wear cologne
She'll know you've been with me alone
And you can't take our secret home
So you ask me not to wear cologne
How do I walk away from the greatest love I've known
You ask me not to wear cologne
Oh you ask me not to wear cologne
You ask me not to wear cologne
She'll know you've been with me alone
And I'm a scent you can't take home
But will I ever get to wear cologne
The song "Cologne" by Dolly Parton tells a story about a woman who is caught in a love triangle with a man who is in a relationship with someone else. The man asks her not to wear cologne because he doesn't want his partner to suspect that he's been with someone else. The woman is torn between her love for the man and her guilt for being involved in a situation that is hurtful to all parties involved. She knows that what she's doing is wrong, but her heart is leading her down a path that she can't seem to resist.
The lyrics are filled with complexity and emotional depth. The woman expresses her feelings of love and hurt, but also acknowledges the pain she's causing others. She recognizes that love can be a messy and complicated thing, but even in the midst of all the turmoil, she's willing to give up something as simple as wearing cologne just to keep the peace.
Overall, "Cologne" is a beautifully crafted song that explores the complexities of love and human relationships with a poignant honesty and emotional intelligence.
Line by Line Meaning
You ask me not to wear cologne
You request that I do not use any fragrance
She'll know you've been with me alone
You fear that your partner will suspect you have been unfaithful
And you can't take our secret home
You cannot reveal our affair to anyone
So you ask me not to wear cologne
Therefore, you insist, I should avoid any scent
You can wipe the make up off
You can remove makeup easily
The lipstick or a little gloss
Even lipstick or lip gloss can be erased quickly
But fragrance lingers on and on
However, a fragrance tends to persist for a long time
You leave my bed and go to hers
You abandon me to go back to your partner
Leaving me alone and hurt
You leave me feeling sad and abandoned
I love you whether right or wrong
I am devoted to you regardless of our situation
And you ask me not to wear cologne
Yet you still insist I avoid any fragrances
I'm not out to hurt someone
I have no intention of causing pain to anyone
Not you, not her, not any one
I do not want to harm anyone, including myself
But I got heartaches of my own
However, I am dealing with my own emotional pain
Why, I can't even wear cologne
I am not even allowed to enjoy wearing a fragrance
Oh but I never meant for this to be
I did not intend for our affair to happen
It wasn't in my heart to cheat
Cheating was not something I wanted to do
Love has a nature all it's own
Love has its own unpredictable essence
So I willingly gave up cologne
Therefore, I chose to forgo using any fragrance
And every time you come to me
Whenever you visit me
I realize I'm in too deep
I become aware that I am too involved in this situation
I know you love us both and I keep holding on
I am aware that you have affection for both of us, yet I remain committed to our relationship
Oh now what am I ever gonna do
What can I do now?
Cause I am so in love with you
I am deeply in love with you
But where do I belong
I am uncertain of my place in your life
You ask me not to wear cologne
You tell me to avoid using any fragrance
And I'm a scent you can't take home
I am a reminder of our affair that you cannot bring home with you
But will I ever get to wear cologne
However, will I ever be able to wear a fragrance again?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wsmith4
this is an amazing song. Dolly, I am so proud of you!! you've created another masterpiece. I love the line "I'm a scent you can't take home" This is such a powerful song
@nkyguy
this has to be dolly's next single, it has so much emotion in it, i am sitting here blubbering like a fool, the line dolly says ( how do i walk away from the greatest love I have ever known) just gets me, what a great song.
@piinokio2007
Płyta wyjątkowa i piękna ! Uwielbiam jej głos, uwielbiam to jak śpiewa. Dolly jest wyjątkowa, jedna na milion, jedna na miliard... jedyna pod słońcem !
@nkyguy
i hope this will be the next single, I will be pissed if radio does not give this awesume song a chance, i really believe this song can be a huge hit, if given a chance, I love you dolly for writing some of the best songs.
@exboxer42
wow fantastic song .would love to hear some more from this album.amazing song .
@nkyguy
backwoods barbie is a awesume album, it is one of dollys best, all the songs are great, but this has to be my favorite one one off the album, dolly sings it with so much emotion, and thats what a good singer is all about, may dolly be around a long time, we need (no) the world needs her.
@davidcottell
this song is just so dolly and i love it!
@nkyguy
i keep listening to this song over and over, and it is beautiful, so heartbreaking I am sitting her blubbering like a fool, how dumb I know, but the song just rips at my heart, dolly wrote a great heartbreaking song, please please, let this be the next single, and radio please play it, this song deserves to be heard by everyone.
@nkyguy
this is a beautiful song, I just loved the line in the song where she says (how do I walk away from the greatest love I've known) that is so true, thank you dolly for this beautiful song, you are the greatest singer and songwriter, I cant waite to buy the Cd, I hope you know we all love you,
@denalidude05
once again she has released an outstanding CD.......