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
Hush-A-Bye Hard Times
Dolly Parton Lyrics
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Many years you have lingered around my cabin door
Oh hard times come again no more
Oh hard times come again no more
Oh hush a bye hard times, go ye away
Cause my hungry baby wants a Gingerbread Cake
Not an egg in the hayloft, no little red hen
So, hush a bye baby don't cry no more
Your mama can't give you what you're crying for
There's a wolf at the door with an angry
Cold hungry stare, he keeps howling of hard times
And the cupboard is bare
Oh, hush a bye hard times go ye to rest
Cause my ragged baby wants a new ruffled dress
And she wants some new shoes with buckles to wear
And she wants some silver bows for her golden hair
So, hush a bye baby don't cry no more
Your mama can't give you what you're crying for
There's a wolf at the door with an angry
Cold hungry stare, he keeps howling of hard times
And the cupboard is bare
So, hush a bye baby don't cry no more
Your mama can't give you what you're crying for
There's a wolf at the door with an angry
Cold hungry stare, he keeps howling of hard times
And the cupboard is bare
Hush a bye hard times go ye away
I don't intend to be treated this way
So, hush a bye baby
Hush a bye hard times
Hush a bye baby
Don't cry no more
Hush a bye hard times
Hush a bye baby
Hush a bye hard times
Come ye no more
Many years you have lingered around my cabin door
Hush a bye hard times
Come ye no more
Hush a bye baby
Hush a bye hard times
Hush a bye baby
Don't cry no more
Hush a bye hard times
Hush a bye baby
Hush a bye hard times
Come ye no more
The song “Hush-A-Bye Hard Times” by Dolly Parton is a poignant lamentation for better times. It’s addressed to the hard times that have lingered around the singer's cabin door for years, hoping that they will no longer trouble her life again. The lyrics reveal that the singer has been suffering from poverty and deprivation, and she cannot fulfill her child's simple desires. The child wants a gingerbread cake, a new dress, shoes with buckles, and silver bows for her golden hair, but the mother can't afford any of these.
The singer personifies these difficult times as a relentless wolf who keeps howling, reminding her of her struggles. The cupboard is bare, and there's no food to feed her child. In the end, the singer tells the hard times to go away, and she won't allow herself to be treated this way anymore. The last part of the song ends on a hopeful note with the repetition of ‘Hush a bye hard times, come ye no more,’ indicating the singer's desire for prosperity and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Many years you have lingered around my cabin door
Hard times have been present in my life for a long time and are an unwelcome guest at my door.
Oh hard times come again no more
I hope that hard times never return to my life again.
Oh hush a bye hard times, go ye away
I wish for hard times to disappear and never come back.
Cause my hungry baby wants a Gingerbread Cake
I want to provide my child with the sweet things in life, but hard times are making it difficult.
Not a cow in the barn yard no money to spend
I have no money to buy the things I need to take care of my family.
Not an egg in the hayloft, no little red hen
Even though I live in the country, I have nothing to feed my family.
So, hush a bye baby don't cry no more
I wish my child wouldn't have to cry because of our difficult situation.
Your mama can't give you what you're crying for
I can't give my child everything she wants because of our financial situation.
There's a wolf at the door with an angry Cold hungry stare
Difficult situations are always lurking, like a predator waiting to pounce.
he keeps howling of hard times And the cupboard is bare
Despite my best efforts, we still struggle to make ends meet.
So, hush a bye baby don't cry no more
My child's tears are a painful reminder of my inability to provide what she needs.
Cause my ragged baby wants a new ruffled dress
I wish I could provide my child with the things she desires, but our financial situation won't allow for it.
And she wants some new shoes with buckles to wear
I want to give my child nice things, but the funds just aren't there.
And she wants some silver bows for her golden hair
My child deserves nice things, but our financial situation makes it challenging to provide them.
Hush a bye hard times go ye to rest
I hope hard times will finally come to an end soon and leave us in peace.
I don't intend to be treated this way
I refuse to let hard times control my life any longer.
Come ye no more
I want to be done with hard times and finally live a better life.
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.