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
Island In The Stream
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I set out to get you with a fine tooth comb
I was soft inside
There was something going on
You do something to me that I can't explain
Hold me closer and I feel no pain
Every beat of my heart
Tender love is blind
It requires a dedication
All this love we feel needs no conversation
We ride it together, ah ha
Making love with each other, ah ha
Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in between
How can we be wrong
Sail away with me
To another world
And we rely on each other, ah ha
From one lover to another, ah ha
I can't live without you if the love was gone
Everything is nothing if you got no one
And you just walk in the night
Slowly losing sight of the real thing
But that won't happen to us and we got no doubt
Too deep in love and we got no way out
And the message is clear
This could be the year for the real thing
No more will you cry
Baby I will hurt you never
We start and end as one
In love forever
We can ride it together, ah ha
Making love with each other, ah ha
Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in between
How can we be wrong
Sail away with me
To another world
And we rely on each other, ah ha
From one lover to another, ah ha
Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in between
How can we be wrong
Sail away with me
To another world
And we rely on each other, ah ha
From one lover to another, ah ha
Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in between
How can we be wrong
Sail away with me
To another world
And we rely on each other, ah ha
From one lover to another, ah ha
Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in between
"Islands in the Stream" is a duet by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, released in 1983. The song is about two lovers who are so in sync with each other that nothing can come between them. The first verse talks about how when they met there was peace unknown and how the singer set out to win the love of their partner with determination. There is a sense of vulnerability in the singer as they mention the softness inside them, while acknowledging that there was something special going on between them.
The chorus of the song describes the couple as "Islands in the Stream", two people who are so connected that they are one unified entity. The love they share is so true that it needs no explanation, and they can trust and rely on each other. The line "No one in between, how can we be wrong" emphasizes the idea that nothing can interfere with their love, and they can sail away to a new world together.
The second verse reassures the listener that their love will last forever, and that they will never hurt each other. The couple is riding the wave of love together, making love and sharing an unbreakable bond. The repetition of the chorus throughout the song reaffirms the depth of their love and how they belong together.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby when I met you there was peace unknown
When I first met you, I felt a calm and peacefulness that I had never felt before.
I set out to get you with a fine tooth comb
I was determined to get to know you really well and leave no stone unturned.
I was soft inside
I had a tenderness and vulnerability within me.
There was something going on
I felt a strong connection and energy between us.
You do something to me that I can't explain
There's a unique quality about you that affects me in an unexplainable way.
Hold me closer and I feel no pain
Your closeness and touch makes my pain and worries disappear.
Every beat of my heart
With every heartbeat, I feel more and more for you.
We got something going on
Our connection and relationship is strong and meaningful.
Tender love is blind
Love is a gentle, fragile thing that needs care and attention to survive.
It requires a dedication
To truly love someone, you must be committed and dedicated to them.
All this love we feel needs no conversation
We don't need to talk about our love because it's strong enough to speak for itself.
We ride it together, ah ha
We're in this together, navigating our love as a team.
Making love with each other, ah ha
Our physical intimacy is an important part of our love and connection.
Islands in the stream
We're like separate islands in the midst of the vast ocean of life.
That is what we are
That's just the way we are, two individual beings connected in love.
No one in between
There's no person or obstacle that can come between our love for each other.
How can we be wrong
Our love feels so right and true that nothing could possibly be wrong about it.
Sail away with me
Let's escape from the world and all its troubles together.
To another world
Let's explore a new and exciting world of adventure and love.
And we rely on each other, ah ha
We depend on each other to navigate this journey of love and life.
From one lover to another, ah ha
We're not just partners or friends, but true lovers who share a deep and intimate connection.
I can't live without you if the love was gone
If our love disappeared, I wouldn't be able to go on living without you by my side.
Everything is nothing if you got no one
Without someone to love and share life with, everything loses its value and meaning.
And you just walk in the night
If you're alone, you just wander aimlessly through life's dark hours.
Slowly losing sight of the real thing
You begin to lose touch with what's truly important in life without the love and support of another person.
But that won't happen to us and we got no doubt
We have no doubt in our love and commitment to each other, and we know that we'll never lose sight of the real thing.
Too deep in love and we got no way out
Our love is so strong and deep that there's no escape or turning back from it.
And the message is clear
Our love is plain and obvious for all to see and understand.
This could be the year for the real thing
This might be the year that our love becomes even more real and meaningful.
No more will you cry
I promise to never hurt you or make you cry again.
Baby I will hurt you never
I'll always protect and love you, and never intentionally cause you pain.
We start and end as one
Our love and partnership is so strong that we're essentially one entity.
In love forever
Our love will continue to grow and flourish indefinitely.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Barry Gibb, Maurice Ernest Gibb, Robin Hugh Gibb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@papasitomamasita
40 years later and still no one can sing it better than Kenny and Dolly. The harmony between these voices is divine.
@SarahTwin
Totally! 👍 ❤
@fencochou1535
Can’t agree with you more… I’ve learned it 4 decades ago and from then on till now I still sing along time to time… and not to forget Kenny rest in peace…
@jpssteam
Micheal Scott sings it better
@luckaluckata
Actually Miley Cyrus and Jimmy Fallon pretty rules..
@BackToTheBlues
I must admit I much prefer the reggae version by Delroy Wilson and Jennifer Lara. It's slower paced, and the arrangement is lovely. Much nicer for a slow dance with the one you love!
@SonOfKong33
Bee Gees were such phenomenal song writers....And Kenny & Dolly are fantastic!...Takes me back to '83.
@dataracer1172
Yeah totally. Dolly Parton also deserves credit for all the massive hits she wrote. Like "I Will Always Love You," etc. Amazing song writers that I think were sorely missing today.
@victoriajohnson5461
Yes!❤
@SonOfKong33
@@puffinbilly6826 Yes....That's right.