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 Don't Wanna Throw Rice
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When my back was turned she took him away
Now while they're all outside, waiting to throw rice
What I want to throw will surely black her eyes
Cause I don't want to throw rice
I want to throw rocks at her
She took the only love I had
No, I don't want to throw rice
It would be a way to hurt her 'cause she hurt me so bad
Well I never stole nothin' in my life
But if I get the chance I'll steal him from his wife
Cause all is fair in love and war, maybe I'm carryin' this too far
But I feel like tying dynamite to her side of the car
No I don't want to throw rice
I want to throw rocks at her
She took the only love I had
No, I don't want to throw rice
I want to throw rocks at her
It would be a way to hurt her 'cause she hurt me so bad
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's song "I Don't Want to Throw Rice" explore the emotions of a jilted lover who has just witnessed the marriage of their former partner to someone else. The singer expresses feelings of anger, jealousy, and betrayal towards the woman who stole her lover away. The lyrics are filled with metaphors of violence, such as wanting to throw rocks at the bride instead of rice, as a way of expressing her pain.
The first verse of the song describes the moment when the singer discovers that her former lover is getting married to someone else. She expresses shock and pain that this has happened behind her back. The second verse reveals the depth of the singer's emotions, as she expresses a desire to cause physical harm to the new bride. The third verse shows the extent of the singer's desperation, as she expresses a willingness to steal her former lover back from his wife.
Overall, the song is a raw, emotional response to a painful experience of rejection and betrayal. The violent imagery of the lyrics may be unsettling or disturbing to some listeners, but it reflects the intensity of the singer's emotions and the sense of injustice she feels.
Line by Line Meaning
She married the one I love today
The person I love got married today to someone else.
When my back was turned she took him away
The person I love was taken away by someone else without my knowledge.
Now while they're all outside, waiting to throw rice
Everyone is outside, waiting for the newlyweds to exit the wedding ceremony to throw rice on them as a sign of good wishes.
What I want to throw will surely black her eyes
Rather than throwing rice, I would prefer to throw rocks at her, which would cause her physical harm.
Cause I don't want to throw rice
I do not want to take part in the traditional act of throwing rice as it would indicate my acceptance of the newlyweds' union, which I do not support.
I want to throw rocks at her
I want to harm the person who took away the love of my life.
She took the only love I had
The person who married someone else took the love of my life and thus, my only source of love and happiness.
Well I never stole nothin' in my life
I have never stolen anything in my life despite this situation making me desire to steal back the love of my life.
But if I get the chance I'll steal him from his wife
If I ever get the opportunity, I will try to win back the person I love and take him away from his new wife.
Cause all is fair in love and war, maybe I'm carryin' this too far
People can do anything to achieve love and sometimes they may go too far in doing so.
But I feel like tying dynamite to her side of the car
I am so angry at her for taking away my love that I feel like harming her with an explosive device fixed to her car.
It would be a way to hurt her 'cause she hurt me so bad
Harming her would give me a sense of satisfaction for the hurt that I am feeling as a result of her actions.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILL OWENS, 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.