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 Won't Get You
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wakin' up I wish that I could sleep and dream again
'Cause only in my dreams can I know how it might have been
But cheaters never win, their heartaches never end
But sometimes I get crazy as lovers often do
Trying to please him and wondering if she's pleasin' you
Though they have ever right to any part of us they choose I still live just for you and our secret rendezvous
Torn between two lovers on the jukebox
I'm thinkin' how I could have wrote that song
Wonderin' if God loves us when we're cheatin'
Oh, but why he lets us feel things if it's wrong
And I guess I should be singin' "Rock of Ages"
"Amazing Grace" and some of those good songs
But my cheatin' heart will tell on me tomorrow
If you think that God won't get you, well you're wrong
Thou shalt not commit, it's written in the ten
The spirit's always willin', but the flesh is weak again
And you're as close to heaven as I might ever fly
And angel in disguise
A wrong that feels so right
Torn between two lovers just keeps playing
I don't want to be right if lovin' you is wrong
I'm wonderin' if God loves us when we're cheatin'
Oh, but why we have to feel things if it's so wrong
And I guess I should be singin' "Rock of Ages"
"Amazing Grace" and some of those good songs
But my cheatin' heart will tell on me tomorrow
If you think that God won't get you, well you're wrong
My cheatin' heart will tell on me tomorrow
If you think that God won't get you, well you're wrong
Dolly Parton’s song God Won’t Get You is about an affair in which the singer dreams of the person she’s cheating with, wishing to go back to sleep and dream again so that she can experience the relationship more fully. She’s aware of the risks of cheating and is conflicted about whether this kind of love is right or wrong. She questions whether God still loves them when they’re cheating, but ultimately concludes that their faith will catch up with them: “My cheatin' heart will tell on me tomorrow / If you think that God won't get you, well you're wrong."
The song speaks to the complexity and confusion that can come with infidelity. The singer is unable to shake the feelings for the other person and is torn between the rules of society and her heart. The lyrics allude to the biblical commandment “Thou shalt not commit,” recognizing the guilt and shame that often accompanies affairs.
One interesting thing to note about the song is that it was originally written by Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller and performed by Mary MacGregor. Parton later covered the song, bringing it to further commercial success. Additionally, the song was not particularly well-received by critics upon its release, with many feeling that it was a weaker offering from Parton's extensive catalog.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes in my sleep I hold you close against my skin
Sometimes in my dreams, I wish you were with me physically and we could hold each other close as if we are one.
Wakin' up I wish that I could sleep and dream again
Every time I wake up from a dream, I wish to go back to sleep and pick up from where the dream ended.
'Cause only in my dreams can I know how it might have been
In my dreams, I create a world where we are together without any obstacles or judgments, and it feels like the perfect place to be.
But cheaters never win, their heartaches never end
Cheating in a relationship never leads to a happy ending, only heartache and pain.
But sometimes I get crazy as lovers often do
In a relationship, it's common to have moments of passionate recklessness and impulsiveness.
Trying to please him and wondering if she's pleasin' you
I try to make you happy while wondering if he is doing the same for me.
Though they have ever right to any part of us they choose
Even though our partners have every right to us, we still choose to be with each other secretly.
I still live just for you and our secret rendezvous
I dedicate my life to you and our secret meetings, even though it's not right.
Torn between two lovers on the jukebox
Listening to the song Torn Between Two Lovers on the jukebox makes me think of our situation and how difficult it is to choose.
I'm thinkin' how I could have wrote that song
The song resonates with my current situation so much that I feel like I could have written it myself.
Wonderin' if God loves us when we're cheatin'
Questioning if God still loves us even though we are unfaithful to our partners.
Oh, but why he lets us feel things if it's wrong
Questioning why God allows us to feel such temptations if it's considered wrong in society.
And I guess I should be singin' "Rock of Ages"
I know I should be singing religious songs like 'Rock of Ages' and 'Amazing Grace,' but my heart is too consumed with cheating.
"Amazing Grace" and some of those good songs
Religious songs like 'Amazing Grace' remind us of God's grace and mercy even in our sin.
But my cheatin' heart will tell on me tomorrow
Even though I try to keep it a secret, my guilty conscience will reveal my infidelity eventually.
If you think that God won't get you, well you're wrong
If you believe that cheating is something you can get away with and God won't judge you, you're wrong.
Thou shalt not commit, it's written in the ten
The Ten Commandments clearly state that we should not commit adultery.
The spirit's always willin', but the flesh is weak again
Even though we might have good intentions, our bodily desires can overpower our spirit and lead us astray.
And you're as close to heaven as I might ever fly
Loving you brings me an immense amount of happiness, and sometimes it feels like it brings me closer to heaven.
And angel in disguise
To me, you are an angel in disguise, sent to make my life better but also tempting me to sin.
A wrong that feels so right
Even though what we are doing is considered wrong, it feels so right in the moment and in our hearts.
Torn between two lovers just keeps playing
The song Torn Between Two Lovers keeps playing, a constant reminder of the difficult situation we are in.
I don't want to be right if lovin' you is wrong
Even though society might label our love as 'wrong' because we are cheating, I don't want to be right if it means not being with you.
My cheatin' heart will tell on me tomorrow
No matter how much I try to hide it, my cheating ways will come to light eventually.
If you think that God won't get you, well you're wrong
If you believe that cheating is something you can get away with and God won't judge you, you're wrong.
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.