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
He Left Me Love
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He left me love enough to last a lifetime
A lifetime filled with loving memories
And so I have no reason to search for new love
Time could never take his love from me
And my mind is filled with memories, sweet and tender
My heart is filled with love he left for me
He left me love to last eternally
I just close my eyes and I still see him
And in dreams, he loves me just like he used to do
He even wakes me with a tender kiss every mornin'
A kiss that lingers on my lips the whole day through
And my mind is filled with memories, sweet and tender
And my heart is filled with love he left for me
And each thought of him just makes love grow sweeter
He left me love to last eternally
Oh, yes, he left me love
Dolly Parton's song "He Left Me Love" is an emotional tribute to a lover who has passed away. The lyrics express how the singer is grateful for the love she received, which will last her an eternity. She has no reason to search for new love since she still holds onto the love and memories of her late partner. The melancholic tone of the song is lifted by reminiscing about the positive memories shared between the lovers, and how each thought of him makes her love grow even more intently.
The singer describes how she can still see her lover when she closes her eyes and how he visits her in her dreams, just like he used to do when he was alive. The dream-like state turns into reality as he wakes her up with a tender kiss each morning that lingers on her lips throughout the day. The chorus describes how her mind is filled with sweet and tender memories, and her heart brims with the love he left behind for her. The lyrics tell a beautiful story of a love that transcends time and space, showing that love is eternal and can never be taken away.
Line by Line Meaning
He left me love enough to last a lifetime
The love he gave me will last me a lifetime
A lifetime filled with loving memories
We shared many loving memories
And so I have no reason to search for new love
I don't need to search for new love since the love he gave me is enough
Time could never take his love from me
I'll always cherish the love he gave me no matter how much time has passed
And my mind is filled with memories, sweet and tender
I reminisce about our memories and they bring me joy
My heart is filled with love he left for me
He left me with a lot of love that fills my heart
And each thought of him just makes love grow sweeter
Thinking of him makes me love him even more
He left me love to last eternally
The love he gave me will last forever
I just close my eyes and I still see him
I can still see him in my mind when I close my eyes
And in dreams, he loves me just like he used to do
In my dreams, he loves me just like he did before
He even wakes me with a tender kiss every mornin'
In my dreams, he wakes me up with his gentle kiss every morning
A kiss that lingers on my lips the whole day through
His kiss stays on my lips all day long
Oh, yes, he left me love
He left me with a lot of love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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.