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
From Here to the Moon and Back
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could tell you how long I will long for your touch
How much and how far would I go to prove
The depth and the breadth of my love for you?
From here to the moon and back
Who else in this world will love you like that?
Love everlasting, I promise you that
From here to the moon and back
I want you to know you can always depend
On promises made and love without end
No need to wonder how faithful I'll be
Now and on into eternity
From here to the moon and back
Who else in this world will love you like that?
Forever and always, I'll be where you're at
From here to the moon and back
From here to the moon and back
I would blow you a kiss from the star where I sit
I would call out your name to echo through the vast
Thank heaven for you and to God, tip my hat
From here to the moon and back
And I'll spend forever just proving that fact
From here to the moon and back
From here to the moon and back
In the song "From Here To The Moon And Back," Dolly Parton and Kris Kristofferson sing about the depth and breadth of their love for each other. The lyrics describe the different ways in which they would prove their love, including holding out their arms to show how much they love, blowing a kiss from a star, and calling out each other's name to echo through the vast space. The song is all about assuring the other person that their love is forever and they can always depend on each other.
The lyrics create a feeling of endless devotion, the kind of love that transcends all boundaries, even those as vast as the distance from the Earth to the moon. The song is also about how two people can find comfort in each other, knowing that they have an unbreakable bond that will last forever. The imagery used in the song is beautiful, poetic, and creates a sense of wonder and awe.
Line by Line Meaning
I could hold out my arms, say, "I love you this much"
I can express my love for you through actions and words
I could tell you how long I will long for your touch
I can articulate my longing for you and my desire to be close to you
How much and how far would I go to prove
To what extent am I willing to show you how much you mean to me
The depth and the breadth of my love for you?
My love for you is all-encompassing and boundless
From here to the moon and back
My love for you extends beyond what is imaginable
Who else in this world will love you like that?
No one else will ever love you like I do
Love everlasting, I promise you that
My love for you will never diminish, I vow to you
I want you to know you can always depend
You can always trust and rely on me
On promises made and love without end
I will fulfill every promise and my love for you will never cease
No need to wonder how faithful I'll be
You can rest assured that my faithfulness to you will be unwavering
Now and on into eternity
My love will be for you throughout the ages
I would blow you a kiss from the star where I sit
I would send you a heartfelt greeting from wherever I am
I would call out your name to echo through the vast
I will make sure my love for you is heard far and wide
Thank heaven for you and to God, tip my hat
I am grateful for you and I acknowledge the higher power that brought us together
And I'll spend forever just proving that fact
I will spend an eternity showing you how much I love you
From here to the moon and back
My love knows no bounds
From here to the moon and back
My love for you is boundless and everlasting
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dolly Parton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rebecca Benway
There is no other voice as powerful or sweet as Dolly's.
Ruben Daniel
Hello Rebecca, how are you doing
Shenika Cleage
So very true
Shenika Cleage
Very true
Missy Chadwick
❤❤❤❤❤ sometimes I want someone so far away and you don’t really know them but you know what’s in your heart that counts in the love that’s there and the respect no matter how far away they are always have a place in your heart I love the way Dolly sings this song
It touches my heart tonight Dolly is amazing and I like the lyrics it’s awesome the way she sings It’s amazing love always Melissa😊
Bilgitus Imogen Engelbrecht
This song brings back so much memories. I can’t hold back my tears . Thank you for this masterpiece Dolly ❤
tierra stone
My mom passed away in 2018 at 41 from cervical cancer. She told us this all the time. She would make me sing this. Ugh ..I wish I said it more. I love u mom.
Missy Chadwick
❤ I love this song the way Dolly plays her guitar and she sitting there and there’s a shining moon in the sky behind her and I love the way she sings this song because I matter how far she is she’s always in your heart and I love is always there as I’m laying here in my room This is a special song as she sings it’s me and her song I believe and I love it with all my heart ❤️ Dolly is amazing and Cool Love always Melissa❤
David Holton
So sorry for the infringe on your privacy. Beautiful song! How are you?
Missy Chadwick
❤❤❤ It’s funny I’m awake and everybody else is asleep I already got my stuff ready to go home but the same time I’m listening to the song this morning and it’s been a smile on my face fill my heart with lots of love the Way dolly Sings this song comes from the heart I like Larix as well in the way she sings it with her guitar dolly is amazing and she’s awesome love always Melissa❤