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 Really Got the Feeling
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I felt it from the moment we met you didn't ask me my sign
I love my daddy but it really don't matter what my daddy might say
I really got the feeling that I'll love you 'til my dying day
You're a gentle man
And a gentle man is getting mighty hard to find these days
And you're a tender man And you're man enough to show your love and tender ways
I really got the feeling that I'll love you for a long long time
I felt it from the moment we met you didn't ask me my sign
I love my daddy but it really don't matter what my daddy might say
I really got the feeling that I'll love you 'til my dying day
I love those silly things you do
You make me feel once more like an innocent child of two
I really got the feeling that I'll love you for a long long time
I felt it from the moment we met you didn't ask me my sign
I love my daddy but it really don't matter what my daddy might say
I really got the feeling that I'll love you 'til my dying day
I really got the feeling got the feeling
I really got the feeling got the feeling
I really got the feeling that I'll love you 'til my dying day
In the song "I Really Got the Feeling," Dolly Parton expresses her deep and lasting love for someone who she feels a strong connection with from the moment they met. She feels certain that she will love him for a long time, even until her dying day. She doesn't care what her daddy might say about him, as she knows that her feelings are true. Part of what makes this man so special to her is that he is a gentle and tender man, which is hard to find these days. She loves his silly quirks and the way he makes her feel like an innocent child again.
The lyrics convey a sense of deep passion and devotion, as well as a belief in the power of love to endure. Through the repetition of the phrase "I really got the feeling," Parton emphasizes the intensity and certainty of her emotions. She also acknowledges that love can be difficult to sustain, especially in a world where people are frequently unkind or uncaring. However, she is determined to hold onto her feelings for this man and cherish him for as long as she can.
Overall, "I Really Got the Feeling" is a heartfelt and uplifting love song that celebrates the power of connection and devotion. It showcases Parton's beautiful voice and songwriting talent, and reminds us that sometimes love really can last a lifetime.
Line by Line Meaning
I really got the feeling that I'll love you for a long long time
I believe that my love for you will last an extended period.
I felt it from the moment we met you didn't ask me my sign
I knew I loved you from the instant we encountered each other, and you didn't inquire about my horoscope.
I love my daddy but it really don't matter what my daddy might say
I adore my father, but it's insignificant what he thinks about us.
I really got the feeling that I'll love you 'til my dying day
I'm sure that I'll love you until the end of my life.
You're a gentle man
You are a kind, considerate person.
And a gentle man is getting mighty hard to find these days
It's become difficult to find someone who is genuinely kind-hearted.
And you're a tender man
You are compassionate and sensitive.
And you're man enough to show your love and tender ways
You're secure enough in your masculinity to display affection and tenderness.
I love those silly things you do
I find joy in the amusing things you do.
You make me feel once more like an innocent child of two
You bring out the childlike wonder and purity in me.
I really got the feeling got the feeling
I'm absolutely certain.
I really got the feeling got the feeling
I'm completely sure.
I really got the feeling that I'll love you 'til my dying day
I'm positive that my love for you will endure throughout my life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Vera
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.