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
Green eyed Boy
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I flew off to the wild blue yonder
'Cause I had a dream
And I had to go
But I'm filled with a sense of wonder
From the love I shared
With a green-eyed boy
Lips as sweet as mountain honey
A body warm as home made wine
But he had no dreams
And no means for money
But he had me just anytime
Take me back, If just in memory
Fill my cup again with joy
The fire still burns in the old rock chimney
And I still burn for that green-eyed boy
Now he was pretty
With chiseled features
Like the movie stars in the magazines
My first love and the son of a preacher
I fantasized me was James Dean
But the world outside kept pulling at me
Offered me fame, respect, and gold
Designer clothes and a fancy mansion
Expensive cars, so I chose those
Take me back, If just in memory
Fill my cup again with joy
The fire still burns in the old rock chimney
And I still burn for that green-eyed boy
Take me back, If just in memory
Fill my cup again with joy
The fire still burns in the old rock chimney
And I still burn for that green-eyed boy
Ooh, ooh, how I love that green-eyed boy
Ooh, ooh, ooh, and I still miss
That green-eyed boy
Do you think about me
When the nights are long and cold
Do you ever miss me
Do you my green-eyed boy
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's song Green-Eyed Boy tell the story of a young woman who had to leave her small town and her first love behind to pursue her dreams. She reminisces about a boy with green eyes who had no ambitions but was sweet and warm, and they shared a love that left her filled with wonder. She describes his appearance as something out of a movie magazine, and he was the son of a preacher. However, the singer of the song decided to leave him behind and strive for fame, money, and materialism. She is now living a comfortable life, but she's haunted by the memory of the green-eyed boy and the love they shared.
The song portrays the classic inner conflict between chasing dreams and staying true to oneself. While the singer chose a life of fame and fortune, she recognizes that it may not have been the right choice. She longs to go back to the simpler times when she was in love with the green-eyed boy and had few worries. The nostalgia in the song is strong, and it reflects how people sometimes romanticize their past, especially when they've achieved everything they thought they wanted.
Dolly Parton's lyrics and melodies have always been deeply emotional and relatable. In this song, she describes the yearning for something that she once had but can never get back. The song Green-Eyed Boy was released in 1970, and it is still regarded as one of her most profound and heartfelt pieces. It showcases her ability to paint vivid images with her words and evoke emotions that resonate with people.
Line by Line Meaning
I flew off to the wild blue yonder
I left to chase my dreams, to explore the unknown
'Cause I had a dream
I had a vision, a goal to achieve
And I had to go
I couldn't stay, I had to move on towards my dreams
But I'm filled with a sense of wonder
I'm amazed by the love I shared with that green-eyed boy
From the love I shared
The bond we shared was full of affection
With a green-eyed boy
The young man with beautiful green eyes whom I loved
Lips as sweet as mountain honey
The young man had lips as sweet as honey found in the mountains
A body warm as home made wine
The young man was affectionate, passionate and comforting
But he had no dreams
Unfortunately, he didn't have any aspirations, goals, or ambitions
And no means for money
He didn't have any resources or wealth to support himself or his partner
But he had me just anytime
But he showered his love on me, any time and all the time
Take me back, If just in memory
I want to remember and revisit the beautiful moments spent with him
Fill my cup again with joy
I want to relive the happy moments once again
The fire still burns in the old rock chimney
The passion still remains alive, unblemished and unspoiled
And I still burn for that green-eyed boy
My love for the young man still exists and is as strong as ever
Now he was pretty
The young man was beautiful, attractive and handsome
With chiseled features
His facial features were well defined and sharp like those of a sculpture
Like the movie stars in the magazines
His captivating beauty resembled those seen in magazines and movies
My first love and the son of a preacher
The young man was my first love, and he was the son of a reverend
I fantasized me was James Dean
I imagined that he looked like James Dean, a famous movie star
But the world outside kept pulling at me
The external world kept tempting, compelling me to explore and attain success
Offered me fame, respect, and gold
The outside world offered me fame, reputation, and wealth
Designer clothes and a fancy mansion
I was offered luxurious clothing and a lavish home
Expensive cars, so I chose those
I chose to pursue materialistic pleasures over love and affection
Ooh, ooh, how I love that green-eyed boy
I'm still fond of that beautiful young man with green eyes
Ooh, ooh, ooh, and I still miss
I still yearn and crave for the love of that beautiful young man
That green-eyed boy
He was the beautiful young man with green eyes whom I still adore
Do you think about me
I'm curious to know if he ever thinks of me
When the nights are long and cold
I wonder if he remembers me during the long and cold nights
Do you ever miss me
I hope that he still thinks of me and misses me sometimes
Do you my green-eyed boy
I address my question to that green-eyed boy whom I still love dearly
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.