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
Holding Everything
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every thought in my mind has your name on it
Hard to breathe, I can't speak
Think of your love and just how much I want it
[Chorus]
When I'm touching you, I feel a sudden change
When I'm kissing you, I taste the sun and rain
And when I'm holding you, I'm holding everything
Everything that's mine to give
Everything I can do, I'll do to prove it
For as long (for as long)
As I may live (as I may live)
My love will be there for you to use it
[Chorus]
Everything, I'm holding everything
When I'm touching you, I'm touching everything
When I'm kissing you, I'm kissing everything
Everything (everything) uh huh
My heart beats, wild and deep
Every thought in my mind has your name on it
It's hard to breathe (it's hard to breathe)
And I can't speak (I can't speak)
Think of your love and just how bad I, want it
And when you're touching me, I feel a sudden change
When you're kissing me, I taste the sun and rain
And when I look at you, I hear the angels sing
You're everything (everything)
I'm holding everything (everything)
Everything (you're everything)
You're everything (everything to me)
Everything (everything)
You're everything
The lyrics to Dolly Parton's song "Holding Everything" express a deep and intense love. The singer's heart beats wildly and every thought in their mind has the other person's name on it. They have a hard time breathing and speaking because of how much they want the other person's love. When they are touching, kissing, or looking at each other, they feel a sudden change and an overwhelming sensation of love. The singer promises to give everything they have, everything they can do, and their whole life to prove their love.
The chorus reveals the depth of the singer's feelings. When they are touching or kissing each other, they feel like they are exploring and experiencing everything. When they look at each other, they hear the angels sing. They feel like they are holding everything and everything is theirs to give to each other. The intense love between the two is all-encompassing and all-consuming.
Overall, the lyrics to "Holding Everything" express a passionate and all-consuming love that is both romantic and spiritual. Dolly Parton's powerful vocals and heartfelt delivery make the song even more emotional and intense.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart beats, wild and deep
My love for you is intense and passionate.
Every thought in my mind has your name on it
I can't stop thinking about you and you're always on my mind.
Hard to breathe, I can't speak
Your presence makes me weak and I get tongue-tied when I'm with you.
Think of your love and just how much I want it
I long for your love and I can't imagine not having it.
When I'm touching you, I feel a sudden change
Being close to you has a powerful impact on me and makes me feel different.
When I'm kissing you, I taste the sun and rain
Kissing you is a magical experience that feels like the best of everything.
When I look at you, I hear the angels sing
You are so beautiful that it feels like divine intervention to be with you.
And when I'm holding you, I'm holding everything
Being with you is like having everything I could ever want or need.
Everything that's mine to give
I offer you all that I have to give.
Everything I can do, I'll do to prove it
I will do whatever it takes to show you how much I love you and how committed I am to you.
My love will be there for you to use it
My love is yours to take and use as you please.
And when you're touching me, I feel a sudden change
Your touch has a transformative effect on me and makes me feel alive.
When you're kissing me, I taste the sun and rain
Kissing you is a sensory experience that feels like a mix of all the good things in life.
You're everything
You are my everything, the center of my world.
I'm holding everything
When I'm with you, I feel like I'm holding everything that matters in life.
Everything to me
You mean everything to me and I can't imagine life without you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shelby Marsh
Beautiful song Dolly!!!😇💖👏
Tobias Dubose
The "Better Day" album needs to be back on Spotify.
Johan Westberg
Magical song😍
Leah Bublitz
This song is almost a chord-for-chord copy of "I Will Always Love You," verse and chorus. Sing along if you don't believe me! I guess there are only so many chord progressions you can go through before you start reusing them.
Jean Claude NIZEYIMANA
Be blessed dear Dolly. Beautiful song.
Alex Wells The How to Rocker
Dad - you are always my hero, love your guitar and vocals. Always love you.
Nabor Mata
Grande ! Grande ! Dolly ......
4sakes alive
Pleasant as the day is Long... Dolly - your one of a kind - A child of God - Amen
DDC - Diamond Dance Center
Well its pretty unusal to add a country song to our Rumba Playlist... but i think its the best way to dance to this emotional song. Very well done :). Kind regards - DDC.
Paul IheanA'chor
Dolly Parton will always, I mean always alwaysalways be MyFavorite country artist