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
Dreams Do Come True
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like the morning sun
His love moved across every inch of my body
And the heat from the fire burned me up with desire
I thought I'd died and gone to heaven for sure
There to my surprise
Lay that angel I thought had been only a dream
And so I said a little prayer
And thanked God, that he was there
Oh, this is a dream come true
Dream do come true
I know 'cause I found you
I never thought they did
But now I do
Dreams do come true
It was love at first sight
And it was love all night
And the way he made love to me
Fulfilled all my fantasies
Ooo, this is a dream come true
Yes, dreams do come true
I know 'cause I found you
I never thought they did
But you're living proof
That dreams do come true
Dreams do come true
And I am so in love with you
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's song Dreams Do Come True celebrate the fulfillment of a long-awaited dream - the discovery of true love. The singer is overwhelmed by the happiness and contentment that her partner brings into her life. The opening verses show how the singer compares her lover's love to the warmth of the sun, and how the heat they generate together calls forth a sense of blissful surrender. The singer reflects on how she previously believed that this kind of love was only possible in dreams, but now she knows from lived experience that they can also come true.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that dreams do come true in matters of love. The singer is convinced that her newfound happiness is not only real but also tangible proof that her dreams were not just fantasies but also instances of hope and vision that could become reality. The bridge section of the song celebrates the singer's gratitude for her newfound happiness, and for the fact that her lover has proved to be more than just an angel from her dreams. The last verse of the song returns to the euphoria of love and culminates in the declaration that an ideal relationship that fulfills all our expectations can indeed come true.
Line by Line Meaning
Like the morning sun
His love moved across every inch of my body like the warming rays of the morning sun.
His love moved across every inch of my body
His love was overwhelming and all-consuming, covering every inch of my being.
And the heat from the fire burned me up with desire
The passion between us was so intense, that it felt like we were surrounded by a fiery inferno of desire.
I thought I'd died and gone to heaven for sure
The pleasure was so great that I felt like I had ascended to paradise itself.
This morning when I opened my eyes
Upon waking from our passionate night together, I realized that it wasn't just a dream.
There to my surprise
To my great surprise and delight,
Lay that angel I thought had been only a dream
I saw the man I had dreamed of, who I thought was only a figment of my imagination.
And so I said a little prayer
I couldn't believe my good fortune, and gave thanks to God for bringing us together.
And thanked God, that he was there
I expressed my gratitude that the love of my life was real and present before me.
Oh, this is a dream come true
It felt like my greatest, most impossible dream had finally come true.
Dreams do come true
This experience proved to me that it really is possible for our greatest dreams to become reality.
I know 'cause I found you
I am certain that this is true because I have found the love of my life.
I never thought they did
I used to believe that dreams could never actually become reality.
But now I do
This experience has completely changed my perspective, and I now know that anything is possible if we truly desire it.
It was love at first sight
From the moment I saw this man, I knew that we were meant to be together.
And it was love all night
Our love was just as powerful and intense throughout the night as it was from the very beginning.
And the way he made love to me
The intimacy we shared was unlike anything I've ever experienced before.
Fulfilled all my fantasies
He was able to fulfill all of my deepest desires and make me feel complete.
Ooo, this is a dream come true
Once again, I was overwhelmed by the improbability and beauty of my reality.
But you're living proof
My partner is the proof that dreams really can come true.
And I am so in love with you
I continue to be deeply in love with him, and so grateful that we are able to share our lives together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILL OWENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sunday Sichimba
This song made for me surely my dreams come true now I can't stop listening ❤🎉
wuzupraphy
beautiful song.
Alfred Lee
Grace and Beauty unbound, Flowing with every Breath.
Filling All with Hope spilling out of them as a Smile.
Dark Shidira
My girlfriend requested me to hear to this song, when her woke up from her surgery. She said she's going to sing that song for me when she gets back home. I going to play this song over and over again, till my girlfriend comes home. =)
Linda Smith
I love this song its true love linda
tintraa200
its so sad and happy at the same time ur the best dolly parton
Robin Frye
This is a dream come true love you dolly
Jackie Blanchard
She the best and dreams do come true
Paul Jones
miss parton you bring tear to my eye lord bless you
Charlotte Biegon
I hope my dreams come true.