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
In The Meantime
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've been living in the last days ever since the first day ever since the dawn of Man
Well nobody knows when the end is coming but some people tell you they do
Well it might be today, it might be tomorrow, or in a million years or two
In the meantime, in between time, let us make time to make it right
And let us not fear what is not clear; faith should be your guide,
Just follow this advice:
And
Think about love, think about living
Think about love sharing and giving
Drop the Doomsday attitude and let the spirit flow
These are wonderful times we're living in
God still walks in the hearts of Men
And Eden's garden waves within so let the flowers grow
Well we rant and we rave about the "good ol' days"
And how different it was "back then"
Well the greatest days we've ever known are the days we're living in
Well we worry about earthquakes, aliens from outer space, nuclear holocaust
Well we're so consumed with the fear of dying; the joy of living is lost
In the meantime, in between time, let us make time to make amends
Lead the good life, just treat this planet right
And try to all be friends and say with me again:
Ohhh!
Think about life, think about living
Think about love caring and giving
Drop this Doomsday attitude and get on with the show
We've walked on the moon; been to Mars
Technically we've come so far
But still we wonder who we are
The farther along we go
(Doodle-doodle doo-doo-doo ooh-ooh)
You know people been talking about the end of time ever since time began
We've been living in the last days ever since the first day ever since the dawn of Man
Well nobody knows when the end is coming, well that's what the Scriptures say
But that's a secret known only to God, he says to just watch and pray
In the meantime, what's the hurry?
In the meantime now don't you worry
In the meantime live, laugh- be merry
In the meantime, in the meantime
In the meantime troubles gonna show us
In the meantime the sky is still above us
In the meantime you know God's gonna love us
In the meantime, in the meantime, in the meantime
Dolly Parton’s song “In the Meantime” is a deep reflection on the end of time and the human race’s preoccupation and fear with it. The song begins with how people have been talking about the end of time since its inception, and we have been living in the last days since the dawn of man. It is a commentary on the fear of death and the way it consumes humans, affecting the joy of living in the present. The song also asserts that nobody knows when the end is coming, and some people who claim that it will be soon are just plain wrong.
The chorus of the song encourages listeners to make the most of the time they have and to not fear what is unclear. It emphasizes that faith should be the guiding force in life and suggests dropping the doomsday attitude. Instead, people should focus on love, caring, and giving. It urges people to lead a good life, treat the planet right and try to be friends. The song suggests that we should not be preoccupied with fear and instead embrace the wonderful times that we are living in.
The last stanza of the song celebrates human progress and wonders about the future. People have walked on the moon, been to Mars, and technologically advanced. But, the song asks who we are, and what do we know? The song concludes by offering reassurance that nobody knows when the end will come, but in the meantime, humans should live, love, and be happy.
Interesting facts about the song:
* Dolly Parton wrote the song as the opening track for her 1986 album “Think About Love.”
* The album’s title track went on to become a number one hit on the Billboard country music charts.
* The album featured a contemporary pop sound, which was a departure from her previous country sound.
* The song was released as the follow-up single to “Think About Love” but did not chart.
* It received critical acclaim for its positive message and integration of contemporary music sound.
* The song’s video features an animated Parton with various imagery, including the Garden of Eden and the moon landing.
* “In the Meantime” has been covered by other artists, including Ronnie Milsap and Jan Howard.
* In 2020, Parton shared the lyrics to “In the Meantime” on social media in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, urging fans to stay positive during the difficult time.
* The song has been interpreted as a message to other Christians to not to obsess about the end of the world but instead live in the present and follow their faith.
* Parton has explained that the message of the song is to help people think positively, which she believes is more productive and helpful than being paralyzed by fear and worry.
Chords (capo on the 1st fret):
Intro: G, C, G, D
Verse: G, C, G, D
Chorus: G, D, C, D
Bridge: Am, D, G, D
Line by Line Meaning
You know people been talking about the end of time ever since time began
People are always predicting the end of the world since the beginning of time.
We've been living in the last days ever since the first day ever since the dawn of Man
People have been feeling like they're living in the end times since the beginning of humanity.
Well nobody knows when the end is coming but some people tell you they do
There is no way to know when the world will end despite some people claiming they know.
Well it might be today, it might be tomorrow, or in a million years or two
The end of the world could happen anytime, in the near or distant future.
In the meantime, in between time, let us make time to make it right
Instead of worrying about the end times, let us focus on making the most of the present moment to improve.
And let us not fear what is not clear; faith should be your guide,
Don't fear what we don't understand and let our faith guide us during uncertain times.
Just follow this advice:
Here is some advice to follow:
And
Think about love, think about living
Think about living a fulfilling life filled with love.
Think about love sharing and giving
Share and give love to others.
Drop the Doomsday attitude and let the spirit flow
Let go of the apocalyptic mindset and let positivity flow.
These are wonderful times we're living in
We should cherish the present because these are wonderful times we are living in.
God still walks in the hearts of Men
God is still present in the hearts of people.
And Eden's garden waves within so let the flowers grow
Like the garden of Eden, let us appreciate and take care of nature.
Well we rant and we rave about the "good ol' days"
People tend to romanticize the past as the "good old days".
And how different it was "back then"
People often consider the past as significantly different from the present.
Well the greatest days we've ever known are the days we're living in
The present is the most significant time in human history.
Well we worry about earthquakes, aliens from outer space, nuclear holocaust
People tend to worry about natural disasters, extraterrestrial life, and nuclear war.
Well we're so consumed with the fear of dying; the joy of living is lost
People are so preoccupied with the fear of death that they forget to enjoy life.
In the meantime, in between time, let us make time to make amends
Let's try to make amends with each other instead of focusing on negativity.
Lead the good life, just treat this planet right
Live your life well and be responsible stewards of the earth.
And try to all be friends and say with me again:
Let's all be friends and say together:
Ohhh!
Think about life, think about living
Think about living life to the fullest.
Think about love caring and giving
Think about showing care and love towards others.
Drop this Doomsday attitude and get on with the show
Stop dwelling on apocalyptic scenarios and continue living life as usual.
We've walked on the moon; been to Mars
Humanity has achieved great feats like landing on the moon and Mars.
Technically we've come so far
We have made remarkable technological advancements.
But still we wonder who we are
Yet we still question our identity.
The farther along we go
The more we progress in time.
(Doodle-doodle doo-doo-doo ooh-ooh)
Well nobody knows when the end is coming, well that's what the Scriptures say
The Scriptures say that no one knows when the end will happen.
But that's a secret known only to God, he says to just watch and pray
Only God knows the time of the end, and encourages us to be watchful and prayerful.
In the meantime, what's the hurry?
Why rush when there's still so much time left?.
In the meantime now don't you worry
Relax and don't worry in the meantime.
In the meantime live, laugh- be merry
Enjoy life and be happy in the meantime.
In the meantime, in the meantime
In the meantime troubles gonna show us
There will be challenges along the way.
In the meantime the sky is still above us
Despite challenges, the sky is still there and we can keep going.
In the meantime you know God's gonna love us
No matter what happens, we can be confident in God's love.
In the meantime, in the meantime, in the meantime
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elizabeta Katalinic
How everything is truly sung in sympathetic style and one can't help but love this song and Dolly Parton for it. Love you Dolly , your Eli. from Swituerland ( and Croatia ). 🥰🥰💝💝🥰🇭🇷❤🇨🇭
Ružina mliječnica
also from Croatia living in Switerzland,apsolutly loving Dolly since I was little girl! Nice hello😊
Margaret Parker
Awesome song
Donovan Edwards
This song is just as relevant today as it was when it came out! Faith should be your guide!
Jayden Bluebell
Another awesome song from the greatest singer/songwriter the world has ever known.
Kyron's Way
AWESOME song! Thank you!!
Izzy Lourenco
This is amazing 😉
Tobias Dubose
The "Better Day" album needs to be back on Spotify.
Chrissiah
It is there for me now!
Alan A.
Love this Album