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
Getting In My Way
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wish I loved another, but I don't
It's just the same, day after day
Your memory keeps getting in my way
But I'm hoping I will be alright
But I don't even sleep at night
I close my eyes I see your face
Your memory keeps getting in my way
I don't know why I can't forget you
I don't see why I should let you
Keep messing up my mind with all those thoughts of yesterday
Your memory keeps getting in my way
It's easy for someone to lie
I'm saying I'll forget you and I'll try
Here's hoping that I will someday
Your memory keeps getting in my way
I don't know why I can't forget you
I don't see why I should let you
Keep messing up my mind with all those thoughts of yesterday
Your memory keeps getting in my way
Dolly Parton's song Getting In My Way is about the struggle of letting go of someone who has left a deep impression on your heart. The lyrics express the desire to move on, but the difficulty in doing so. Parton admits that she wishes she could forget the person who's memory keeps getting in her way, but she knows it's not that simple. She confesses, "I wish I loved another, but I don't...It's just the same, day after day."
She also acknowledges the emotional toll the situation is taking on her, saying "But I'm hoping I will be alright, But I don't even sleep at night, I close my eyes I see your face." It's clear that the person she is struggling to forget is constantly on her mind, and her efforts to move forward seem hopeless.
As the song progresses, it's evident that she is trying her best to move on, but the memory of this person keeps getting in her way. She realizes that it's not easy to forget someone you love, even though they may not be good for you. She admits, "I don't know why I can't forget you, I don't see why I should let you, Keep messing up my mind with all those thoughts of yesterday, Your memory keeps getting in my way." Ultimately, the song is a powerful expression of the struggle to move on from a past love, even when it seems impossible.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish I could forget you, but I won't
Despite wanting to forget about you, I know I won't be able to.
I wish I loved another, but I don't
I wish I could move on and love somebody else, but my heart still belongs to you.
It's just the same, day after day
Everyday feels the same because I cannot escape the memory of you.
Your memory keeps getting in my way
I can't seem to forget or move past the memory of you, and it's hindering my ability to move on with my life.
But I'm hoping I will be alright
Although it's difficult, I'm trying to remain optimistic that one day I'll be able to move on.
But I don't even sleep at night
I'm having trouble sleeping because thoughts of you keep creeping into my mind.
I close my eyes I see your face
Even when I try to shut you out, I can't escape the memory of your face.
I don't know why I can't forget you
I can't understand why I'm unable to let go of your memory.
I don't see why I should let you
I don't see why I should continue to hold onto the memory of you, but I can't seem to let go.
Keep messing up my mind with all those thoughts of yesterday
Constantly thinking about the past is making it difficult for me to move forward with my life.
It's easy for someone to lie
Someone can easily lie about moving on, but it's much harder to actually do it, especially when stuck in the past.
I'm saying I'll forget you and I'll try
Although it's hard, I'm trying my best to forget you and move on.
Here's hoping that I will someday
I'm hoping that one day I'll be able to move on and find peace without you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing 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.