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
Eugene Oregon
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I won't forget how good you were to me
No and I won't be forgettin' all the kindness that you show
To a homesick country girl a long, long way from Tennessee
Tired and weary and feelin' low
Among strange people I didn't know
A long, long way from home and a long time gone
The love you gave was genuine
You gave me inspiration and the strength to carry on
Eugene, Oregon, I'll remember you for the rest of my life
And I won't forget how good you were to me
Oh an' I won't be forgettin' all the kindness that you show
To a homesick country girl a long, long way from Tennessee
Oh Eugene, Oregon, I have been trying to find a way to say thanks again
For standing up for me when I was alone
Oh and I couldn't think of a better way
To say the things that I wanted to say
Than to take my old guitar, sit right down and write you a song
Eugene, Oregon I'll remember you for the rest of my life
I won't forget how good you were to me
No and I won't be forgettin' all the kindness that you show
To a homesick country girl a long, long way from Tennessee
The love you gave was genuine
Eugene, Oregon I'll remember you for the rest of my life
In Dolly Parton's "Eugene Oregon," the country icon expresses her gratitude towards the titular city for making her feel at home despite being far away from her roots in Tennessee. The song speaks to the kindness and generosity of the people of Eugene towards Parton and how it helped her carry on when she was feeling low and alone.
Through her lyrics, Parton paints a picture of the internal struggles she faced while being homesick and far from familiarity. She is grateful for the warmth and love the people of Eugene gave her and their willingness to stand up for her when she was feeling alone. The song represents a unique moment in Parton's life where a city's hospitality allowed her to be creative and productive while touring so far from home.
Parton's ability to turn her memorable experiences in Eugene, Oregon, into a beautiful song, speaks to her talent as a songwriter and storyteller. She uses the melody and rhythm to capture the emotions that she felt while being away from her comfort zone, and this has helped connect the song with listeners worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
Eugene, Oregon, I'll remember you for the rest of my life
Dolly Parton will never forget Eugene, Oregon or the memories she made there
I won't forget how good you were to me
Dolly Parton is grateful for the kindness she received in Eugene, Oregon
No and I won't be forgettin' all the kindness that you show
The people of Eugene, Oregon showed Dolly Parton so much kindness that she will never forget it
To a homesick country girl a long, long way from Tennessee
Dolly Parton felt out of place in Eugene, Oregon but the kindness of the people there made her feel at home
Tired and weary and feelin' low
Dolly Parton was exhausted and down when she arrived in Eugene, Oregon
Among strange people I didn't know
Dolly Parton was around people she didn't know in Eugene, Oregon
A long, long way from home and a long time gone
Dolly Parton was far away from her home in Tennessee and it had been a long time since she had been there
Oh but Eugene, Oregon, you were kind
The people of Eugene, Oregon showed Dolly Parton kindness despite her being a stranger
The love you gave was genuine
The people of Eugene, Oregon showed Dolly Parton genuine love and kindness
You gave me inspiration and the strength to carry on
Dolly Parton was inspired by the kindness of the people in Eugene, Oregon and it gave her the strength to keep going
Oh Eugene, Oregon, I have been trying to find a way to say thanks again
Dolly Parton wants to thank the people of Eugene, Oregon again because their kindness meant so much to her
For standing up for me when I was alone
The people of Eugene, Oregon stood up for Dolly Parton when she was alone and didn't know anyone
Oh and I couldn't think of a better way
Dolly Parton couldn't think of a better way to thank the people of Eugene, Oregon
To say the things that I wanted to say
Dolly Parton wanted to express her gratitude to the people of Eugene, Oregon
Than to take my old guitar, sit right down and write you a song
Dolly Parton decided to write a song to express her gratitude to the people of Eugene, Oregon
Writer(s): Dolly Parton
Contributed by Alex Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.