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
God Bless the USA
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd worked for all my life
And I had to start again
With just my children and my wife
I'd thank my lucky stars
To be living here today
Cause the flag still stands for freedom
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you
And defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
From the lakes of Minnesota
To the hills of Tennessee
Across the plains of Texas
From sea to shining sea
From Detroit down to Houston
And New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart
And it's time we stand and say
That I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you
And defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you
And defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
The lyrics to Dolly Parton's "God Bless the USA" express a deep love and pride for America, and a willingness to defend it against any threat. The opening verse imagines a scenario in which the singer loses everything they've worked for in life, but still feels lucky to be living in a country where freedom is valued and protected. This sentiment is echoed throughout the song, with mentions of the flag, the sacrifices of those who have died in service, and the unique pride that all Americans share. The chorus sums up these feelings succinctly: "And I'm proud to be an American / Where at least I know I'm free / And I won't forget the men who died / Who gave that right to me."
The second verse continues with a celebration of the diverse landscapes and people that make up America, from the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee, and from Detroit to Houston. The singer argues that this diversity is what makes America great, with people from all walks of life sharing a common love for their country. The final chorus repeats the sentiments of the first, emphasizing the singer's gratitude for living in a free country, and their willingness to defend it at any cost.
Line by Line Meaning
If tomorrow all the things were gone
If everything I've worked for were to disappear tomorrow
I'd worked for all my life
All the hard work I'd put in
And I had to start again
If I had to begin from scratch
With just my children and my wife
With only my family by my side
I'd thank my lucky stars
I would acknowledge my good fortune
To be living here today
For the privilege of living in this country
Cause the flag still stands for freedom
Because the American flag represents freedom
And they can't take that away
No one can strip away freedom from America
And I'm proud to be an American
I take pride in being an American
Where at least I know I'm free
In America, I know I have freedom
And I won't forget the men who died
I will always remember the people who sacrificed their lives
Who gave that right to me
So that I could enjoy the rights they fought to protect
And I gladly stand up next to you
I am happy to stand by fellow Americans
And defend her still today
And protect America even today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
Because there is no question that I have an enormous love for this country
God Bless the U.S.A.
May God bless America
From the lakes of Minnesota
Starting from the lakes of Minnesota
To the hills of Tennessee
All the way to the hills of Tennessee
Across the plains of Texas
Across the plains of Texas
From sea to shining sea
From coast to coast
From Detroit down to Houston
From Detroit to Houston
And New York to L.A.
From New York to Los Angeles
Well there's pride in every American heart
Every American takes pride in this land
And it's time we stand and say
It's time to take a stand and express our love for America
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Lee Melvin Greenwood
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Genevieve Caldwell
I'm a proud Canadian but I celebrate the American Independence Day every year, for there's such a deep pride and love in Americans and the US is a mesmerizing country. I love it.
Easter
I'm proud Kenyan but I love this song so much ❤️ God bless America..
With love from 🇰🇪🇰🇪
Cheers to Wine
What a Beautiful rendition of this amazing song. No one sings it better then Lee Greenwood until I heard you sing it Dolly. You always seem to make everything better. Thanks for loving our troops and our country.
Jill hebert
I can't believe she'll be 75 years young !! God bless you Miss Dolly Parton for your country singing through the years 💞
Kryoptic
This song always gives me chills. Such an amazing rendition.
Holly Hernandez
I am proud to be a almost American 🇺🇸🇺🇲
melissa l chadwick
I love this song 💖💖 dolly 💗 sings because I'm proud to be a US citizen as well and it teaches you how to have respect for each other in our country no matter what sometimes you have to forgive others even though they're wrong and you know it in your heart dolly is amazing and she says good examples in many ways for all the young people that are trying hard to make as me and do the best they can and their own little way I love goes out to her deeply as my idol and country singer love always Melissa
talal rene darjani
I love this song ! God bless the USA
Enzic Moon
I didn’t know dolly had a range like this
Adrian Wick
EXCELSIOR 🎶🗽🇺🇲