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
Color Me America
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
THESE ARE COLORS THAT RING TRUE
TO ALL IAM AND FEEL AND LOVE AND DO
I STAND PROUD AND BRAVE AND TALL
I WANT JUSTICE FOR US ALL
SO COLOR ME AMERICA, RED, WHITE AND BLUE
I SEE RED WHEN EVIL SPEAKS
AND I FEEL BLUE FROM GRIEF AND SORROW THAT IT BRINGS
BUT THE WHITE AND LIGHT OF LOVE
GOD'S OWN SPIRIT LIKE A DOVE
LIFT'S US UP AND HANDS TO US AN OLIVE BRANCH
OH, SWEET FREEDOM MAY YOU STAY
IN OUR LAND AND LIVES ALWAYS;
AND MAY PEACE AND BEAUTY FILL OUR HEARTS ANEW
AND MAY WE ALL STAND UP FOR YOU ;
MAY OUR THOUGHTS AND DEEDS BE TRUE
AND BE WORTHY OF YOUR STRIPES.... RED, WHITE AND BLUE.
IAM RED AND WHITE AND BLUE
THESE ARE COLORS THAT RING TRUE
TO ALL IAM AND FEEL AND LOVE AND DO
I STAND PROUD AND BRAVE AND TALL
I WANT JUSTICE FOR US ALL
SO COLOR ME AMERICA, RED, WHITE AND BLUE
TAG: OH, SWEET AMERICA
GOD WON'T YOU SHED YOUR GRACE ON THEE.
AND CROWN THY GOOD IN BROTHERHOOD
FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
OH, COLOR ME AMERICA
RED, WHITE AND BLUE, COLOR ME AMERICA
The song "Color Me America" by Dolly Parton is a patriotic anthem about the United States of America. The lyrics convey the singer's love and pride for their country, as well as their desire for justice, peace, and freedom. The colors red, white, and blue, which are the colors of the American flag, are used as a metaphor for different emotions and values.
In the first verse, the singer declares that they are "red and white and blue," which represents their passion, purity, and patriotism. These colors are "true" to all that they are, feel, love, and do. The singer stands "proud and brave and tall" and wants justice for everyone, regardless of their background.
In the second verse, the singer becomes upset when they witness evil and violence happening in their country. Seeing the "red blood on our streets" makes them angry, and they feel "blue" from the grief and sorrow that it brings. However, the singer is comforted by the "white and light of love" and believes that God's spirit can lift us up and offer us an olive branch, which symbolizes peace.
The chorus repeats the colors red, white, and blue and urges the listener to "color me America" in those colors. The final tag is a plea to God to bless America and unite its people in brotherhood.
Overall, "Color Me America" is a heartfelt tribute to the United States of America and its values of freedom, justice, and unity.
Line by Line Meaning
IAM RED AND WHITE AND BLUE
As an American, I identify with the colors red, white, and blue.
THESE ARE COLORS THAT RING TRUE
These colors symbolize the core values and beliefs of our nation.
TO ALL IAM AND FEEL AND LOVE AND DO
They represent who I am, what I feel, love, and do as an American citizen.
I STAND PROUD AND BRAVE AND TALL
I stand with pride, courage, and honor for my country.
I WANT JUSTICE FOR US ALL
I desire justice for every American, regardless of their background or status.
SO COLOR ME AMERICA, RED, WHITE AND BLUE
I want to be colored by the essence of America, represented through the colors of the flag.
I SEE RED WHEN EVIL SPEAKS
I feel anger and wrath when I hear or witness any act of evil.
SPILLING RED BLOOD ON OUR STREETS
The sight of bloodshed and violence on our streets makes me feel enraged.
AND I FEEL BLUE FROM GRIEF AND SORROW THAT IT BRINGS
My heart is filled with sadness and sorrow when I see the aftermath of a tragic event.
BUT THE WHITE AND LIGHT OF LOVE
The goodness of people, represented by the color white, helps me rise above the darkness.
GOD'S OWN SPIRIT LIKE A DOVE
I believe that God's spirit, like a dove, brings peace amidst chaos.
LIFT'S US UP AND HANDS TO US AN OLIVE BRANCH
It uplifts us, and we offer an olive branch, a symbol of peace as well as an offering of reconciliation.
OH, SWEET FREEDOM MAY YOU STAY
I pray that freedom remains an integral part of our nation.
IN OUR LAND AND LIVES ALWAYS;
Freedom should be a part of our daily lives as citizens of this nation.
AND MAY PEACE AND BEAUTY FILL OUR HEARTS ANEW
May our hearts be filled with peace and beauty that represents our nation.
AND MAY WE ALL STAND UP FOR YOU;
I urge all Americans to boldly defend their nation's values and principles.
MAY OUR THOUGHTS AND DEEDS BE TRUE
May our actions reflect our virtuous thoughts and beliefs.
AND BE WORTHY OF YOUR STRIPES.... RED, WHITE AND BLUE.
May we be deserving of the honor and respect these colors represent.
TAG: OH, SWEET AMERICA
A phrase acknowledging America's beauty and greatness.
GOD WON'T YOU SHED YOUR GRACE ON THEE.
A prayer asking God to bless our nation with his Grace.
AND CROWN THY GOOD IN BROTHERHOOD FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
A request for the nation to display brotherhood and unity from coast to coast.
OH, COLOR ME AMERICA
The artist seeks to imbibe the spirit of America that resonates across the nation.
RED, WHITE AND BLUE, COLOR ME AMERICA
The singer identifies and associates themselves with America through the patriotic colors of the flag.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@n.s-j.6214
[Verse 1]
I am red and white and blue
These are colors that ring true
To all I am and feel and love and do
I stand proud and brave and tall
I want justice for us all
Color me America, red, white and blue
[Verse 2]
I see red when evil speaks
Spilling red blood on our streets
And I feel blue from grief and sorrow that it brings
But the white, the light of love
God's own Spirit like a dove
Lifts us up and hands to us an olive branch
[Verse 3]
Oh, sweet freedom, may you stay
In our land and lives always
And may peace and beauty fill our hearts anew
And may we all stand up for you
May our thoughts and deeds be true
And be worthy of your stripes, red, white and blue
[Verse 4]
I am red and white and blue
These are colors that ring true
To all I love and feel and see and do
Oh, I stand proud and brave and tall
I want justice for us all
So color me America, red, white and blue
[Verse 5]
Oh, sweet America
God won't you shed, won't you shed your grace on Thee
And crown Thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea
Oh, color me, color me America
Red, white and blue, color me America
@Itz_FroggyQueen
Just came from the Dolly Parton stampede, truly an amazing song in heart. Your such a great singer, and person. I loved to listen to your song when I was at the D.P.S. Truly, truly amazing.
@ollieherring6791
she just has the most angelic voice ever.
@paigewalker2780
I love you Dolly.💙 You have such an amazing God given gift and I'm so glad you get to share it with all of us.
💙
@danielmcguigan4930
@Dollyparton...This ballad is timeless and will surely live on for our future generations!
@justafangirl5154
1st like and comment and I listen and love all your music
@lukemarcum3702
Just got done at the dolly partin stamped love that place
@ajaykustomer6639
Dolly, my tear drops found my lap tonight in listening to you sing this song... your voice, words, and soulful energy are as Colloidal Silver on a terrible wound in serious need of healing... the United States of America that we have loved, and do still love so dearly.
You are such a treasured part of the huge quilt work of good people, across our land, who have sincerely tried to keep the heartbeat of our Nation strong and true. Whatever happens, DOLLY, thank you, more than words can say, for all you have given.
Always sending love, a prayer for, and appreciation to, you!
GODSPEED!
@geraldmullahey5961
Love this song I first heard it at the Dolly Parton stampede in Branson Missouri totally true song we don’t see skin color in America all we see is red white and blue that’s a true American god bless
@baileyostrom2972
I went to Dolly Parton’s Stampede in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina LONG LONG time ago. I’d love to go to the one in Branson sometime!
@bucky3
I love you Dolly, your song is good.