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
It's All Wrong but It's All Right
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I like your looks
I love your smile
Could I use you for a while?
It's all wrong but it's all right
The amber sunset glow has died
My needs are very much alive
It's all wrong but it's all right
It's all wrong but it's all right
Just close your eyes and hold me tight
Tell me sexy lovin' lies
It's all wrong
But it's all right
It may be wrong if we make love
But I just need someone so much
And who knows, it might last for life
It's all wrong but it's all right
It's all wrong but it's all right (it's all wrong but it's all right)
Just close your eyes and hold me tight
Tell me sexy lovin' lies
It's all wrong
But it's all right
It's all wrong but it's all right
Just close your eyes and fantasize
Tell me sexy lovin' lies
It's all wrong but it's all right
It's all wrong but it's all right
Just close your eyes and hold me tight
Tell me sexy lovin' lies
It's all wrong but it's all right
It's all wrong but it's all right
Just close your eyes and fantasize
In Dolly Parton’s song “It’s All Wrong But It’s All Right,” the singer is a woman who’s looking for someone she can spend the night with. At the start of the song, she asks the man if he’s free tonight and if she can use him for a while. She knows that what they’re doing isn’t right, but it feels good in the moment. The woman’s “needs are very much alive,” and though it may be wrong for them to make love, she just needs someone so much that it feels like it might last for life.
The lyrics speak to the human desire for intimacy and the willingness we sometimes have to throw caution to the wind in order to feel connected to someone else. The singer knows that what she’s doing is risky, but she’s willing to take that risk to satisfy her desires. The line “tell me sexy lovin’ lies” suggests that she’s not looking for anything serious, instead just wanting to feel good and be in the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello, are you free tonight?
Asking if the person is available for companionship
I like your looks
Complimenting the person's physical appearance
I love your smile
Appreciating the person's smile
Could I use you for a while?
Asking for the person's time and company
It's all wrong but it's all right
Acknowledging that the situation is not ideal but still accepting it
The amber sunset glow has died
Describing the end of a romantic day
My needs are very much alive
Expressing the singer's desire for physical intimacy
Is it okay if I stop by?
Requesting to meet in person
Just close your eyes and hold me tight
Suggesting physical intimacy with the person
Tell me sexy lovin' lies
Asking the person to say romantic things
It may be wrong if we make love
Acknowledging that their actions may not be morally acceptable
But I just need someone so much
Expressing the artist's need for companionship and intimacy
And who knows, it might last for life
Hoping that the relationship will endure
It's all wrong but it's all right
Reiterating that the situation is not perfect but still acceptable
Just close your eyes and fantasize
Encouraging the person to imagine romantic scenarios
It's all wrong but it's all right
Accepting the imperfect circumstances
Tell me sexy lovin' lies
Desire for romantic words and gestures
It's all wrong but it's all right
Accepting the situation despite its flaws
Just close your eyes and hold me tight
Asking for physical intimacy
It's all wrong but it's all right
Accepting imperfection in the situation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dolly Parton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Romy K.
on Gypsy Joe And Me
As a matter of fact she's contemplating suicide standing on the bridge, that's how they'll be together again.