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 Teardrops Were Pennies
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A solid gold mansion, an airplane or two
This whole world would be yours to have and to hold
If teardrops were pennies and heartaches were gold
If teardrops were pennies and heartaches were gold
I'd have all the riches my pockets would hold
I'd be, oh, so wealthy with treasures untold
The tears that have fallen won't buy you a thing
The heartaches you've caused me won't pay for a ring
The love that I wanted would not have grown cold
If teardrops were pennies and heartaches were gold
If teardrops were pennies and heartaches were gold
I'd have all the riches my pockets would hold
I'd be, oh, so wealthy with treasures untold
If teardrops were pennies and heartaches were gold
But teardrops aren't pennies
And heartaches aren't gold
The song If Teardrops Were Pennies by Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner is a classic country tune that speaks to the power of love and the pain of heartbreak. The song tells the story of a person who would do anything to make their lover happy, offering them anything from an acre of diamonds to a solid gold mansion and an airplane or two. However, all of these promises are conditional on a hypothetical scenario where teardrops were pennies and heartaches were gold. In the end, the singer acknowledges that this is not the case, and the heartaches they have suffered cannot be undone.
The song is a poignant reminder that money cannot buy happiness and that love is not always enough to make a relationship work. The idea of a person offering everything they have to make their lover happy is a universal story that resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but they convey a powerful message about the nature of love and the value of relationships.
The song is a classic of the country music genre and has been covered by many artists over the years, including Johnny Cash, Kitty Wells, and George Jones. It was released in 1966 as a single, and it reached number three on the US Country chart. The song was also included on the album The Right Combination, which was released the following year.
Line by Line Meaning
An acre of diamonds I'd offer to you
I would give you anything, including valuable possessions.
A solid gold mansion, an airplane or two
I would give you extravagant and luxurious gifts.
This whole world would be yours to have and to hold
I would give you everything in the world to keep.
If teardrops were pennies and heartaches were gold
If the pain and sorrow caused by our relationship could be turned into money and wealth.
I'd have all the riches my pockets would hold
I would be incredibly wealthy if my tears and heartache could be turned into currency.
I'd be, oh, so wealthy with treasures untold
I would possess an abundance of wealth beyond measure.
The tears that have fallen won't buy you a thing
The sadness and tears that have been shed do not have any monetary value.
The heartaches you've caused me won't pay for a ring
The pain and suffering I have endured because of you cannot be exchanged for physical possessions.
The love that I wanted would not have grown cold
If things had gone differently, our love would not have died out.
But teardrops aren't pennies
Unfortunately, tears cannot be exchanged for money.
And heartaches aren't gold
Nor can heartache be exchanged for wealth.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILL OWENS, DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Johnny-xw7mf
Pure Country Gold!!! Johnny from Alabama
@robertkilonzo4684
Purely country.Robert from Kenya🇰🇪
@luthandoriti4889
Who is still listening to this in 2024 like me
@allanfoster8359
Me
@carolinemusizvingoza9482
Me
@Autodidactic9105
Me! Love me some Dolly.❤
@EuniceBosibori-nm5el
❤so enjoyable
@kevinmwangi4062
Me
@tomsheffer3018
Country classic — still listening! Tom in Kentucky
@lanaarmstrong8943
If only teardrops were pennies and heartaches were gold.