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
Elusive Butterfly
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the sound of something moving past your window in the wind
And if you're quick enough to rise
You'll catch a fleeting glimpse of someone's fading shadow
Out on the new horizon
You may see the floating motion of a distant pair of wings
And if the sleep has left your ears
You might hear footsteps running through an open meadow
Don't be concerned, it will not harm you
It's only me pursuing somethin' I'm not sure of
Across my dreams with nets of wonder
I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love
You might have heard my footsteps
Echo softly in the distance through the canyons of your mind
I might have even called your name
As I ran searching after something to believe in
You might have seen me runnin'
Through the long-abandoned ruins of the dreams you left behind
If you remember something there
That glided past you followed close by heavy breathin'
Don't be concerned, it will not harm you
It's only me pursuing somethin' I'm not sure of
Across my dreams with nets of wonder
I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love
Across my dreams with nets of wonder
I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love
Dolly Parton's "Elusive Butterfly" is a song about the pursuit of love. The lyrics describe a mysterious figure who is chasing after something they are not entirely sure of. The opening lines of the song suggest that this figure is moving past someone's window in the wind, leaving only a fading shadow behind. This imagery of a fleeting, elusive presence is echoed in the description of a pair of wings on the horizon and footsteps running through an open meadow.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "It's only me pursuing somethin' I'm not sure of" three times, emphasizing the singer's uncertainty about the object of their pursuit. However, despite this uncertainty, the singer is relentless in their pursuit of love, using "nets of wonder" to capture the "bright elusive butterfly."
The second verse of the song suggests that the person being addressed may have felt the singer's presence before, hearing their footsteps echo through the canyons of their mind. The singer may have even called out their name in their search for something to believe in. The verse ends with the image of the singer running through the ruins of the dreams they left behind, with heavy breathing close on their heels.
Overall, "Elusive Butterfly" is a poetic and romantic song about the quest for love, with the lyrics evoking images of fleeting moments and uncertain paths.
Line by Line Meaning
You might wake up some mornin'
You may suddenly awaken to an unexpected event or realization
To the sound of something moving past your window in the wind
You may hear something passing by in the wind, making a rustling sound
And if you're quick enough to rise
If you wake up fast enough
You'll catch a fleeting glimpse of someone's fading shadow
You might see the image of someone disappearing quickly and almost instantly
Out on the new horizon
Looking towards a fresh beginning or new opportunities
You may see the floating motion of a distant pair of wings
You might catch sight of wings flapping far away in the distance
And if the sleep has left your ears
Once you're fully awake
You might hear footsteps running through an open meadow
You could perceive the sound of someone sprinting through an uncovered field
Don't be concerned, it will not harm you
Do not fret, there is no danger in these events
It's only me pursuing somethin' I'm not sure of
It's just me seeking something I am uncertain about
Across my dreams with nets of wonder
I use my imaginative power to pursue my desires
I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love
I pursue the joy of romance and the mystery it holds, despite its fleeting and unpredictable nature
You might have heard my footsteps
You may have perceived the sound of my footsteps
Echo softly in the distance through the canyons of your mind
The sound of my footsteps reverb in your thoughts
I might have even called your name
I could have shouted out your name
As I ran searching after something to believe in
As I sprinted looking for something to have faith in.
You might have seen me runnin'
You may have observed me sprinting
Through the long-abandoned ruins of the dreams you left behind
In the deserted remains of the aspirations you abandoned
If you remember something there
If you have a memory of something you once imagined
That glided past you followed close by heavy breathin'
That drifted by you, with an accompanying sound of heavy breathing
Across my dreams with nets of wonder
I use the potency of my own creative thought process to chase what I desire
I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love
I pursue the alluring and mysterious joy and feeling of deep love, despite its unpredictable and fleeting nature
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Lind
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.