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
If I Were a Carpenter
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you were a lady
Would you marry me anyway?
Would you have my baby?
If you were a carpenter
And I were a lady
I'd marry you anyway
If a tinker were my trade
Would you still find me?
I'll be carryin' the pots you made
Followin' behind you
Save my love through loneliness
Save my love to sorrow
I'm givin' you my only-ness
Give me your tomorrow
If I were a miller
At a mill wheel grindin'
I wouldn't miss my pretty dress
And my soft shoe shining
If I were a carpenter
If I were a lady
Would you marry me anyway?
Yes, and I'd have your baby
Save my love through loneliness
Save my love to sorrow
I'm givin' you my only-ness
Give me your tomorrow
If I were a carpenter
And you were a lady
I'd marry you anyway
I'd marry you anyway
Save my love through loneliness
Save my love to sorrow
I'm givin' you my only-ness
Give me your tomorrow
Save my love through loneliness
Save my love to sorrow
I'm givin' you my only-ness
Give me your tomorrow
If I were a carpenter
And you were a lady
I'd marry you anyway
Would you have my baby?
I'd marry you anyway
And I'd have your baby
If I were a carpenter
If you were a carpenter
I'd marry you anyway
Dolly Parton's "If I Were a Carpenter" is a cover of a Tim Hardin song. The lyrics talk about two people from different occupations (a carpenter and a lady) falling in love and the singer questioning whether their love would be enough to overcome societal norms and expectations. The song begins with the singer asking the lady if she would still marry him and have his baby, even if he were just a carpenter. The second verse switches the roles around, with the singer asking if she would still love him if he were a tinker by trade. In the third verse, the singer imagines himself as a miller and ponders whether the lady would still love him if he didn't have a fancy outfit or shoes. The song concludes with the singer affirming that he would marry the lady and have her baby if they were both carpenters.
The song delves deep into societal expectations and the power dynamics between genders, with the notion of marrying someone from a lower socioeconomic status being considered taboo. This song subverts those expectations by asking the listener to imagine the scenario where their status doesn't matter and true love prevails. Overall, the song is an exploration of love, gender roles, and societal expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
If I were a carpenter
If I was skilled in woodwork
And you were a lady
If you were a respectable woman
Would you marry me anyway?
Would you still love me and want to be with me despite my profession?
Would you have my baby?
Would you be willing to start a family with me?
If you were a carpenter
If you had the same profession as me
And I were a lady
If I was a woman
I'd marry you anyway
I would still love you and want to be with you
I'd have your baby
I would be willing to start a family with you
If a tinker were my trade
If I worked as a repairer of household items
Would you still find me?
Would you still be attracted to me and want to be with me?
I'll be carryin' the pots you made
I will support you in your work, even if it is in a less prestigious profession
Followin' behind you
I will always be there to support you and be your partner
Save my love through loneliness
Keep my love alive when we are apart
Save my love to sorrow
Keep my love strong when we face difficult times
I'm givin' you my only-ness
I am giving you everything I have
Give me your tomorrow
Promise me your future
If I were a miller
If I worked in a milling profession
At a mill wheel grindin'
Operating a mill wheel to grind grain into flour
I wouldn't miss my pretty dress
I wouldn't regret leaving behind material possessions for this profession
And my soft shoe shining
And even the attention and glamour that comes with being a lady
If I were a carpenter
If I had this profession
If you were a lady
If you were still a respectable woman
Yes, and I'd have your baby
Yes, I would still be willing to start a family together
I'd marry you anyway
I would still want to get married and spend my life with you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tim Hardin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mwashila Leka
I swear Dolly ur music is keeping me strong during quarantine with love from Africa
Wayne A White
Very good rendition
troy ballew
Great song, dolly parton and joe Nichols sound really good together, wish they would do more songs together.
Missy Chadwick
❤❤ this is a beautiful song that dolly sings. This is awesome love always Melissa.❤
Crystal Salazar
YASSSS YASSSS YASSSS.!!! Thank you for these again ❤️❤️❤️🙏🏼🙏🏼 classic and lovely dolly 🥺🥺
Madelyn Willis
YASSSS
Leah McCleary
Joe is awesome ! What a great duet .
anibal cesar nishizk
Superb!!!!.
TCHICAIA TCHICAIA
Wow!
DragonHeart7685 WoWsB
Best version of this is with Kenny rodgers but dam I love this song