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
Hungry Again
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We seem to have found a safe comfort zone
We worked so hard to get where we are
That romance got lost on the way
It used to be never enough
We'd melt with each look and each burning touch
We laughed and we loved and we just ate it up
Back when we were hungry that way
Let's love like we're hungry again
Bring back the passion we had back then
The time has gone by, we forgot what it meant
Lets love like we're hungry again
Don't you miss those feelings we had at the start
And that fire that got started from each little spark
Oh it's good where we are, but I miss where we've been
Lets love like we're hungry again, now and then
Lets love like we're hungry again
Bring back the passion we had back then
The time has gone by, now we've grown too content
Lets love like we're hungry again, now and then
Lets love like we're hungry again
The lyrics to Dolly Parton's song Hungry Again talk about the loss of passion in a relationship. The excitement and desire are gone, and they seem to have found a safe comfort zone. The song talks about how hard they worked to get to where they are now, but the romance has been lost along the way. The love they used to have was never enough, and they would melt with each little touch. They laughed, loved, and just ate it up when they were "hungry" for each other, but now they've lost that spark.
The chorus talks about wanting to bring back the passion they had at the start. They've gone too long without feeling the fire they felt when they first met. They don't want to forget what it felt like. Even though they're content now, they want to love like they're hungry again. They want to remember how much they mean to each other and how much they love each other.
Overall, the song talks about the importance of keeping the passion alive in a relationship. It's easy to get comfortable and complacent, but it's important to remember the fire that started it all.
Line by Line Meaning
The thrill, the desire, the excitement is gone
The initial excitement and longing for each other has faded away over time.
We seem to have found a safe comfort zone
We have settled into a routine and have become complacent with our relationship.
We worked so hard to get where we are
We put a lot of effort into our relationship to reach this point.
That romance got lost on the way
However, along the way, we have lost some of the romance and passion that we once had.
It used to be never enough
We were always eager for more of each other and our love for each other was insatiable.
We'd melt with each look and each burning touch
Our desire for each other was intense and consuming, to the point where mere physical contact could make us weak in the knees.
We laughed and we loved and we just ate it up
We would delight in each other's company and love unabashedly, savoring every moment together.
Back when we were hungry that way
We were fiercely, passionately in love and constantly craving each other's attention and affection.
Don't you miss those feelings we had at the start
Do you not also long for the intense emotions and deep connection we had in the early days of our relationship?
And that fire that got started from each little spark
The tiny moments and gestures that once ignited a spark between us can still do so if we allow them to.
Oh it's good where we are, but I miss where we've been
While we have built a comfortable life together, I feel a longing for the passion and intensity of our past.
Lets love like we're hungry again, now and then
We should make an effort to reignite the flame that once burned so bright, even if it's just every now and then.
Lets love like we're hungry again
Let's love each other with the same intensity and fervor that we did when we were first falling in love.
Bring back the passion we had back then
Let's rekindle the deep emotional and physical connection we once shared.
The time has gone by, we forgot what it meant
Over time, we have lost sight of the true meaning of our love and the passion that brought us together.
Now we've grown too content
Our contentment with each other has led us to become too comfortable and complacent in our relationship.
Contributed by Leah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.