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
Heartbreak Express
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sayin' so long to a love gone wrong and that's all she wrote
Leavin' behind what once was mine with sad regrets
But it's all gone now and I'm leavin' town on the Heartbreak Express
Walkin in the rain with a heart full of pain to the train depot
The only things that's gonna keep me warm now is my overcoat
Lost and lonely waitin' in line at the ticket desk
I'm gonna roll on down the line
I'm gonna go so far I'm gonna get it off my mind
It hurts to know it ain't enough when you give your best
Got a ticket to ride and I'm leavin' tonight on the Heartbreak Express
Oh, I couldn't hold a candle to the flaming beauty that caught his eye
It's killin' me now but I won't stay around and let him watch me die
Oh, it just goes to show you never do know 'cause I never would'a guessed
I'd be sittin' here now on a train sorrow bound called the Heartbreak Express
I'm gonna roll on down the line
I'm gonna go so far I'm gonna get it off my mind
Maybe someday, somewhere, someway I will forget
But there's no goin' back so roll down the track you ole Heartbreak Express
Feelin' alone while a low whistle moans on the Heartbreak Express
Roll on, roll on down the line
I'm gonna get it off my mind
Roll on, roll on, roll on down the line
Got a ticket to ride so I'm leavin' tonight on the Heartbreak Express
Roll on, roll on, roll on
"Heartbreak Express" is a song about a painful breakup and the singer's attempt to move on from it. The lyrics speak of the singer leaving behind a love gone wrong and saying farewell with a tear-stained goodbye note. She is left with sad regret, but is determined to move forward and leave everything behind. She walks in the rain to the train depot, feeling lost and lonely, waiting in line to buy a one-way ticket on the Heartbreak Express. She is going to go so far that she can forget her past and leave her sorrow behind.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of unexpected heartbreak. The singer feels inadequate because she couldn't hold a candle to her former lover's new flame. It's killing her inside, but she won't stay around and let him watch her die. The Heartbreak Express is a symbol of leaving the past behind and starting fresh. The song ends on a note of uncertainty, as the singer acknowledges the possibility that someday, somewhere, someway, she might forget it all, but for now, she's going to roll on down the line on the Heartbreak Express.
Line by Line Meaning
Packin' my suitcase writin' a tear stained good-bye note
I am preparing to leave my former lover and writing a sad farewell letter.
Sayin' so long to a love gone wrong and that's all she wrote
I am bidding goodbye to a relationship that did not work out.
Leavin' behind what once was mine with sad regrets
I feel sad about leaving behind everything that used to be mine.
But it's all gone now and I'm leavin' town on the Heartbreak Express
Everything that I have lost is in the past, and I am moving on by taking the Heartbreak Express.
Walkin in the rain with a heart full of pain to the train depot
I am walking in the rain, feeling heartbroken, and heading towards the train station.
The only things that's gonna keep me warm now is my overcoat
All I have to keep me warm now is my overcoat.
Lost and lonely waitin' in line at the ticket desk
I am waiting in line at the ticket desk, feeling lost and lonely.
Hey mister won't you give me a one-way ticket on the Heartbreak Express
I request the ticket clerk to give me a one-way ticket for the Heartbreak Express train.
I'm gonna roll on down the line
I will move on from this heartbreak by taking the Heartbreak Express.
I'm gonna go so far I'm gonna get it off my mind
I will travel far enough to forget about the heartbreak on my mind.
It hurts to know it ain't enough when you give your best
It is painful to realize that even though I gave my all, it was not enough to save the relationship.
Got a ticket to ride and I'm leavin' tonight on the Heartbreak Express
I have the ticket for the Heartbreak Express, and I am leaving tonight.
Oh, I couldn't hold a candle to the flaming beauty that caught his eye
I could not compete with the stunning beauty that my former lover fell for.
It's killin' me now but I won't stay around and let him watch me die
The pain is unbearable, but I refuse to stick around and subject myself to more suffering.
Oh, it just goes to show you never do know 'cause I never would'a guessed
This experience taught me that life can surprise us and we never know what will happen.
I'd be sittin' here now on a train sorrow bound called the Heartbreak Express
I am on a train called the Heartbreak Express and feeling sorrowful.
Maybe someday, somewhere, someway I will forget
Maybe someday in the future, in some way or another, I will forget about this heartbreak.
But there's no goin' back so roll down the track you ole Heartbreak Express
I cannot go back to the past, so I will continue moving forward on the Heartbreak Express train.
Feelin' alone while a low whistle moans on the Heartbreak Express
As the train whistle moans, I feel alone and sad on the Heartbreak Express.
Roll on, roll on down the line
The train keeps moving on, down the line.
I'm gonna get it off my mind
I will continue to move forward to forget what's weighing on my mind.
Got a ticket to ride so I'm leavin' tonight on the Heartbreak Express
I have the ticket, and I am leaving tonight on the Heartbreak Express train.
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.