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
Dagger Through the Heart
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, you're out there tonight with another
And my pain is so dreadfully sharp.
I picture you with her and shudder,
It's like a dagger through the heart
Do you think that my feelings don't matter,
When you leave me all broken and shattered
It's like a dagger through the heart
Oh, I know I'm a fool to keep stayin'
When you've made hurtin' me such an art,
Tossed around like a used box of crayons,
It's like a dagger through the heart
Oh, you cut me to pieces so often
Like a knife or a poisonous dart
I would be better off in my coffin,
It's like a dagger through the heart
Oh, I know I'm a fool to keep stayin'
When you've made hurtin' me such an art,
Tossed around like a used box of crayons,
It's like a dagger through the heart
Like a dagger through the heart, through the heart
The lyrics to Dolly Parton’s song “Dagger Through the Heart” speaks to the intense pain and hurt that comes with being cheated on or betrayed by a loved one. Dolly sings from the perspective of a woman who is aware that her partner is out with another woman and the mere thought of it is enough to cause her unbearable pain. She describes this pain as being like a dagger through her heart, a metaphor that effectively conveys the severity of the emotional turmoil she is experiencing.
The woman in the song is fully aware that her partner is hurting her, but she continues to stay with him despite the pain. This is a common theme in relationships where one partner is being mistreated, and Dolly captures the feelings of shame and self-blame that often accompany the decision to stay in such a relationship. The lyrics are emotional and raw, with Dolly’s vocals effectively conveying the pain and heartbreak that comes with being betrayed by someone you love.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, you're out there tonight with another
You are out tonight with someone else, and I feel betrayed and hurt by this.
And my pain is so dreadfully sharp.
My emotional pain is intense and agonizing, like a physical wound.
I picture you with her and shudder,
The thought of you with someone else makes me feel disgusted and frightened.
It's like a dagger through the heart
The pain of being betrayed and abandoned feels like a sharp, stabbing pain in my chest.
Do you think that my feelings don't matter,
Do you believe that my emotions are irrelevant, and that it's acceptable to hurt me?
Or your cheatin' or hurtful remarks
Your infidelity and cruel words are causing me deep emotional distress.
When you leave me all broken and shattered
Your actions leave me feeling shattered and emotionally destroyed.
It's like a dagger through the heart
The pain I feel is sharp and excruciating, like someone has stabbed me in the heart.
Oh, I know I'm a fool to keep stayin'
I am aware that I am making a mistake by staying with you, despite your hurtful actions.
When you've made hurtin' me such an art,
You are skilled and proficient at causing me pain and suffering.
Tossed around like a used box of crayons,
You treat me as if I am disposable and insignificant, like an old box of crayons.
It's like a dagger through the heart
The pain and emotional distress you cause me feels like someone has used a sharp knife to pierce my heart.
Oh, you cut me to pieces so often
You cause me intense emotional pain and leave me feeling shattered and broken frequently.
Like a knife or a poisonous dart
Your words and actions feel like they are cutting me like a knife or poisoning me slowly.
I would be better off in my coffin,
I believe that I would be better off dead than continuing to suffer from your hurtful actions and words.
It's like a dagger through the heart
The emotional pain and torment you cause me feels like someone has taken a sharp, pointed dagger and plunged it through my heart.
Like a dagger through the heart, through the heart
The pain and emotional distress I feel is so intense and distressing that it feels like someone has taken a sharp, stabbing weapon and plunged it through my heart again and again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tobias Dubose
I've been listening to Dolly for years and years. I never could understand why this album never was on Spotify until 2020. It's such an amazing album to listen to, especially if you like bluegrass and mountain music.
Miss Foxx
Im so happy they Finally put this on here !!
kennyrodg
Thanks to Terry Wogan for bringing this album to the radar of the British Public. Love it.