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
Drives Me Crazy
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't stop the way I feel.
Things you do don't seem real.
Tell you what I got in mind
'Cause we're runnin' out of time.
Just turn loose and let it be,
This waitin' 'round is killin' me.
You drive me crazy like no one else.
I can't get any rest. People say that I'm obsessed.
You're everything I want in life, but to me that's no surprise.
And what I have I'll give to you.
I hope you feel the same way, too.
'Cause you drive me crazy
Like no one else.
You drive me crazy and I can't help myself.
I won't make it on my own.
No one likes to be alone.
You drive me crazy, yes it's true.
I'd give it all up just to be with you.
'Cause you drive me crazy like no one else.
Oh, you drive me crazy and I can't help myself, I can't help myself.
Oh, you drive me crazy like no one else.
You drive me crazy and I can't help myself.
Oh, you drive me crazy like no one else.
Oh, you drive me crazy and I can't help myself.
Oh, you drive me crazy like nobody else.
You drive me crazy, can't help myself.
I'm gonna hold you all night long.
And I'm gonna love you 'til the cows come home.
Drive me crazy like a rock in my shoe.
I can't keep my mind off-a you.
Drive me crazy and that's a fact,
You're the one that's a makin' me feel like that.
You drive me crazy, you drive me crazy, I'm a lunatic.
I'd do anything for your sweet kiss.
Drive me crazy, can't help myself.
Drive me crazy like nobody else.
You drive me crazy, oh you drive me crazy.
The song "Drives Me Crazy" by Dolly Parton is a classic love song about being driven wild by intense romantic feelings for someone. The lyrics express how the singer's emotions are so strong that they cannot control themselves or stop thinking about the person they are singing about. They describe the feeling of being obsessed and unable to get any rest, as well as the exasperation of waiting around for the other person to make the first move. The repeated refrain "You drive me crazy like no one else" emphasizes the power of the other person's influence over the singer's thoughts and feelings.
The second verse expresses the hope that the other person feels the same intense emotions, and that they can be together as a result. The line "I won't make it on my own" emphasizes the singer's need for the other person, while "No one likes to be alone" suggests that they are speaking for both of them. The final verse expresses the singer's desire to hold and love the other person all night long, emphasizing the overwhelming passion that the singer feels.
Overall, "Drives Me Crazy" is a simple but powerful love song that captures the intensity of strong romantic feelings. The lyrics are straightforward and repetitive, emphasizing the strong emotions that drive the singer crazy. The song is a classic example of Dolly Parton's ability to write simple, catchy songs that capture the essence of human emotions and experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, you drive me crazy.
Your actions and presence are causing me intense feelings of excitement and confusion.
I can't stop the way I feel.
I have no control over the intense emotions you are causing me to feel.
Things you do don't seem real.
Your actions are so unbelievable that I cannot believe they are real.
Tell you what I got in mind
I want to share with you what's been on my mind.
'Cause we're runnin' out of time.
Our time together is limited and we need to act quickly.
Just turn loose and let it be,
Let go of any inhibitions and allow things to happen naturally.
This waitin' 'round is killin' me.
The anticipation and waiting for something to happen is causing me frustration and anxiety.
You drive me crazy like no one else.
Your impact on me and my emotions is unparalleled to anyone else in my life.
You drive me crazy and I can't help myself.
Your effect on me is so strong that I cannot control my reactions or feelings.
I can't get any rest. People say that I'm obsessed.
I am so preoccupied with thoughts of you that I cannot find any peace or relaxation. Others have noticed how consumed I am by these thoughts.
You're everything I want in life, but to me that's no surprise.
You possess all the qualities and characteristics I desire in a partner, but that fact is not unexpected to me.
And what I have I'll give to you.
I am willing to give all I have to you and invest in our relationship.
I hope you feel the same way, too.
I desire for you to reciprocate these feelings.
I won't make it on my own.
I am unable to function or thrive without your presence in my life.
No one likes to be alone.
Living life without companionship is undesirable for most people.
You drive me crazy, yes it's true.
Your impact on me and my emotions is undeniably real.
I'd give it all up just to be with you.
I am willing to sacrifice everything else in my life to pursue a relationship with you.
I'm gonna hold you all night long.
I desire to hold and embrace you for an extended period of time.
And I'm gonna love you 'til the cows come home.
I plan to love and cherish you for an indefinite amount of time.
Drive me crazy like a rock in my shoe.
Your effect on me is persistent and annoying like a rock in a shoe.
I can't keep my mind off-a you.
I am constantly thinking about you and unable to focus on anything else.
Drive me crazy and that's a fact,
It is a true statement that your effect on me is driving me insane.
You're the one that's a makin' me feel like that.
You are the sole cause of these intense emotions and reactions within me.
You drive me crazy, you drive me crazy, I'm a lunatic.
Your impact on me is so significant that it is driving me insane.
I'd do anything for your sweet kiss.
I am willing to do whatever it takes to receive affection and attention from you.
Drive me crazy, can't help myself.
I am unable to resist your overwhelming effect on me.
Drive me crazy like nobody else.
The way you drive me crazy and impact my emotions is unique to you, and no one else can replicate it.
You drive me crazy, oh you drive me crazy.
Your presence in my life is so significant that it is driving me insane and causing intense emotional reactions.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
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.