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
Honky Tonk Songs
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bartender won't you pour me a very strong drink
Just keep it coming till I don't have to think
And point out some cowboy that might want to dance
And make sure I get home if you see that I can't
You see I loved him, he left me for a girl half my age
I listen to Haggard, ole Hank, and George Jones
But why don't more women sing honky tonk songs?
Why don't more women sing honky-tonk songs?
About the heartaches and the tough breaks
And the men that's done 'em wrong
There are others just like me that are hurtin' to the bone
So why don't more women sing honky-tonk songs
Why don't more women sing honky tonk songs
Honky tonk angels are just queens without thrones
Judge not lest you be judged, who can cast the first stone
Why don't more women sing honky-tonk songs
Bartender won't you pour me a very strong drink
Just keep it coming till I don't have to think
And point out some cowboy that might want to dance
And make sure I get home if you see that I can't
(All you lonely women sing)
Why don't more women sing honky tonk songs
About the heartaches and the tough breaks
And all the men that's done us wrong
There's a whole lotta women I know would sing along
So why don't more women sing honky tonk songs
Why don't more women sing honky tonk songs
In Dolly Parton's song "Honky Tonk Songs," the singer is seeking solace in alcohol and music after being left by a man for a younger woman. The lyrics express her connection to classic country artists like Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, and George Jones and question why more women don't sing honky-tonk songs about heartache and tough times. The repeated question of "why don't more women sing honky-tonk songs" speaks to the lack of representation of female perspectives in the genre, which historically has been male-dominated.
The singer is searching for a sense of community and understanding through music, and she believes that more women sharing their stories through honky-tonk songs would create a stronger support system for women going through difficult times. The reference to honky tonk angels being "just queens without thrones" highlights the idea that women have the same struggles as men, but they are often overlooked or minimized.
Overall, Parton's "Honky Tonk Songs" is a plea for more women to share their experiences through song, particularly in the traditionally male-dominated genre of honky-tonk.
Line by Line Meaning
Bartender won't you pour me a very strong drink
I need a drink so strong that I don't have to think about my problems
Just keep it coming till I don't have to think
I want to keep drinking until I forget my heartbreak and troubles
And point out some cowboy that might want to dance
I'm hoping to find someone to dance with and forget my pain for a while
And make sure I get home if you see that I can't
Please keep an eye on me and make sure I get home safely, in case I drink too much
Why don't more women sing honky-tonk songs?
I wonder why more women don't sing about their heartaches and struggles like male honky-tonk singers do
About the heartaches and the tough breaks
Women go through difficult times and heartbreaks just like men
And the men that's done 'em wrong
There are men who have hurt women and caused their heartaches
There are others just like me that are hurtin' to the bone
I know that there are other women who are just as heartbroken and hurt as I am
Honky tonk angels are just queens without thrones
Women who sing honky-tonk music are like angels who haven't been given their rightful place and recognition
Judge not lest you be judged, who can cast the first stone
We shouldn't judge others, as we too have our own flaws and imperfections
All you lonely women sing
This song is an invitation for all women who are feeling alone or heartbroken to relate and sing along
And all the men that's done us wrong
There are men who have done wrong to us, and we have the right to express our feelings about them
There's a whole lotta women I know would sing along
I believe that there are many women who would relate to this song and sing along if they heard it
So why don't more women sing honky tonk songs
This question is a call to action, asking why more women should not be encouraged to express their emotions through honky-tonk music
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.