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 Will Always Love You
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I would only be in your way
And so I'll go, and yet I know
I'll think of you each step of the way
And I will always love you
I will always love you
That's all I'm taking with me
Good-bye, please don't cry
'Cause we both know that I'm not
What you need
But I will always love you
I will always love you
And I hope life, will treat you kind
And I hope that you have all
That you ever dreamed of
Oh I do wish you joy
And I wish you happiness
But above all this
I wish you love
I love you
I will always love you
I, I will always, always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
The song "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton is a hauntingly beautiful ballad about love, loss, and moving on. In the opening lines of the song, Parton recognizes that, although she loves the person she is singing to, staying with them would only be to their detriment. Despite this realization, she assures them that she will always love them, even as she walks away. The bitterness and sweetness of their memories together, both good and bad, resonate throughout the song, as Parton prepares to leave and start a new chapter in her life.
The lyrics of the song suggest that love is not always enough to make a relationship work. Sometimes, as painful as it may be, it is necessary to let go and move on, even if you love the other person deeply. Parton's message is ultimately one of hope and well-wishes for the person she is leaving behind. The lines "And I hope life will treat you kind / And I hope that you have all / That you ever dreamed of" show that even as she is saying goodbye, she still wants the best for the person she is leaving.
Line by Line Meaning
If I should stay
If I were to continue to stay by your side
Well I would only be in your way
I fear that my presence would only hinder your progress
And so I'll go, and yet I know
Therefore, I must leave, even though I am aware
I'll think of you each step of the way
That I will be reminiscing about you at every point of my journey
And I will always love you
However, I will continue to cherish and love you from afar
Bitter-sweet memories
I will look back at our time together with a mix of happiness and sadness
That's all I'm taking with me
I carry only those memories with me as I depart
Good-bye, please don't cry
I bid you farewell and hope you don't shed tears
'Cause we both know that I'm not
As we both acknowledge that I am not
What you need
The person you require in your life
And I hope life, will treat you kind
I hope that life treats you with the kindness you deserve
And I hope that you have all
And I hope that you have achieved everything
That you ever dreamed of
That you have ever desired
Oh I do wish you joy
I sincerely wish you happiness
And I wish you happiness
And I send my best wishes for your life going forward
But above all this
But most importantly
I wish you love
I hope that you find love, as that is what truly matters in life
I love you
I want you to know that I love you
I will always love you
And I will continue to love you, always
I, I will always, always love you
There is no question that I will always, always love you
I will always love you
So know that I will always, always love you
I will always love you
And again, I will always, always love you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dolly Parton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tabeijunko9362
If I should stay
I would only be in your way
So I'll go, but I know
I'll think of you each step of the way
And I will always love you
I will always love you
Bittersweet memories
That's all I'm taking with me
Goodbye, please don't cry
We both know that I'm not what you need
But I will always love you
I will always love you
I hope life treats you kind
And I hope that you have all
That you ever dreamed of
And I wish you joy and happiness
But above all this, I wish you love
And I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
@mc14m33
Listen to Dolly's original version when your heart is breaking, listen to Whitney's version when you're ready to move on. I don't know why, but you can feel the difference.
@laitesiu612
This makes TOTAL sense.
@MotiVibes1137
Man, you nailed it
@auntsissy45
Bootiful both ways
@marissamares8318
Completely agree❤️
@elginhehe8919
this was well said
@sigissigis3174
She wrote this and 'Jolene' on the same day...
@fockingreat1125
Love was def going through it that day lmao
@purplepuzzlemo556
she was in her feelings lol
@jackspiegel4
That is called a good day.