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
I'll Never Say Goodbye
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I couldn't believe it the day that you left
Cleaned out your closet, cleared off your shelves
Loaded your car and you drove out of sight
But I never said goodbye
I'll never say goodbye
I'm always waiting in case you drop by
I'll never say goodbye
People have told me you have a new love
My heart's not willing to give up on us
I've convinced myself they're just telling me lies
And I'll never say goodbye
I'll never say goodbye
The door's always open, I leave on a light
I never wanted you out of my life
And I'll never say goodbye
I'll never say goodbye
The door's always open, I leave on a light
I'll be loving you till the day that I die
And I'll never say goodbye
If you'll just come back, I won't even ask why
I'll never say goodbye, no I'll never say goodbye
The lyrics in Dolly Parton's song "I'll Never Say Goodbye" speaks about a lover that has left her without warning. She was completely shocked to find that he had cleared out his closet and left without a trace. She expresses her feelings about it and reveals that she's left the door open for him in case he wants to come back. The chorus emphasizes this point by saying that she will never say goodbye, she's always waiting, and will never turn him away.
The singer refuses to believe rumors that he's moved on with someone else and that their love has faded. Her heart is still set on him and she's not going to give up on their relationship. The song comes from a place of determination, to keep their love alive despite whatever obstacles they may face.
Overall, the song is a declaration of love and commitment. The singer is not going to give up on the person she loves, no matter what happens. It's a heartfelt plea for him to come back, but at the same time, a statement that she's not going to abandon their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I couldn't believe it the day that you left
It was an unimaginable moment when you left me
Cleaned out your closet, cleared off your shelves
You removed all your stuff and memories from my life
Loaded your car and you drove out of sight
You left with everything you had, just disappeared out of the view
But I never said goodbye
Though you left without a word from me, I never said goodbye either
I'll never say goodbye
I can never say goodbye to you, I'll always keep the door open for you
The door's always open, I leave on a light
I always keep my door and my heart open for you, hoping that you'll come back
I'm always waiting in case you drop by
I'm patiently waiting for you, should you come back to me anytime
People have told me you have a new love
People around me think that you've moved on and found someone else
My heart's not willing to give up on us
Despite what others think, I still have hopes for us to be together again
I've convinced myself they're just telling me lies
I don't believe what others say, and am living in my own little world of hope and love
And I'll never say goodbye
I can't imagine ever saying goodbye to you, even if it's just a fantasy in my head
I never wanted you out of my life
I still long for your presence in my life, can't accept the reality without you
And I'll be loving you till the day that I die
My love for you is eternal and I'll never stop loving you
If you'll just come back, I won't even ask why
I don't need to know why you left, just come back to me, and everything will fall in place
I'll never say goodbye, no I'll never say goodbye
I can never say farewell or let go of our love story
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ShawnBrown-vt7eg
Today I buried my dad this is the song I dedicate to him because I never had the chance to say goodbye to him at the time of his passing this song will be with me all the days of my life thank you Dolly ❤
@jerico1960
I'm very sorry for your loss.
@ntambiandrew251
I will never get tired of dolly's songs since my childhood I've been listening to her songs they make feel good
@missychadwick2840
❤ I love this song this is a good country song 🎶 that Dolly things I like this song is amazing I love the way she sings this song 🎶 I love this song dolly cool❤ Love always Melissa❤
@latokatn506
Super Talent & Song Thanks Jerico Great Choice With Dolly
@jerico1960
Glad you like it. I was surprised when I searched for this song
(Dolly's version) on YouTube and didn't find it. A truly overlooked
song of Dolly's!
@latokatn506
Great Song Super Talent & Writer Thanks Jerico