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 Such A Heartache
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It seems like you're avoiding me
I can't take unhappy endings so I just keep pretending
You'll see the light eventually
Can't stop my heart from breaking, can't stop my hands from shaking
Can't keep my eyes from crying, can't believe your love is dying
Can't stop the rain from falling, no answer when I'm calling
Feels like some tragic movie please say you'll come back to me
Dreamin' of you night after night
I'm havin' trouble sleepin
Your memory is keepin' these feelings runnin' through my mind
Can't stop my heart from breaking, can't stop my hands from shaking
Can't keep my eyes from crying, can't believe your love is dying
Can't stop the rain from falling, no answer when I'm calling
My love, it's so confusing, it's such a heartache losin' you
It's such a heartache, I don't know what to do
It's such a heartache and it's tearin' me in two
You took away the dream I wanted more than anything
Can't stop my heart from breaking, can't stop my hands from shaking
Can't keep my eyes from crying, can't believe your love is dying
Can't stop the rain from falling, no answer when I'm calling
My love, it's so confusing, it's such a heartache losin' you
Can't stop my heart from breaking, can't stop my hands from shaking
Can't keep my eyes from crying, can't believe your love is dying
Can't stop the rain from falling, no answer when I'm calling
My love, it's so confusing, it's such a heartache losin' you
In Dolly Parton's song "It's Such A Heartache," the lyrics tell the story of a heartbroken person who is trying to contact their loved one, but is met with no response. The singer is struggling to deal with the pain of losing their partner and is desperate for them to come back. The chorus emphasizes the frustration and hopelessness that they feel: "Can't stop my heart from breaking, can't stop my hands from shaking. Can't keep my eyes from crying, can't believe your love is dying. Can't stop the rain from falling, no answer when I'm calling. My love, it's so confusing, it's such a heartache losin' you."
The verses of the song highlight the singer's inability to let go of their love for their partner. Despite the lack of response and the apparent end of the relationship, they keep pretending that everything will eventually work out. The singer is haunted by their love's memory "night after night," which is causing them to lose sleep.
Overall, the song is a poignant and relatable exploration of heartbreak and the pain of losing someone you love. Despite the upbeat tempo and the catchy melody, the lyrics paint a picture of deep sadness and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Each time I dial your number I never get an answer
I have been trying to reach you but you are avoiding my calls.
It seems like you're avoiding me
I feel like you no longer want to be with me.
I can't take unhappy endings so I just keep pretending
I am afraid of losing you, so I keep pretending that everything is fine.
You'll see the light eventually
I hope that someday you will realize how much I love you.
Can't stop my heart from breaking, can't stop my hands from shaking
I am experiencing so much pain and heartache that I can't control my body.
Can't keep my eyes from crying, can't believe your love is dying
I am crying all the time because I can't believe that you no longer love me.
Can't stop the rain from falling, no answer when I'm calling
Even the weather reflects my sadness and you are not answering my calls.
My love, it's so confusing, it's such a heartache losin' you
Losing you is causing me so much pain and turmoil, I don't know what to do.
Feels like some tragic movie please say you'll come back to me
My life feels like a sad movie and I am begging you to come back to me.
Dreamin' of you night after night
I cannot stop thinking about you even in my sleep.
I'm havin' trouble sleepin
I am having difficulty sleeping because of the pain of losing you.
Your memory is keepin' these feelings runnin' through my mind
I cannot escape the pain of missing you because memories of us keep flooding my mind.
It's such a heartache, I don't know what to do
Losing you is causing me so much pain and confusion that I don't know how to handle it.
It's such a heartache and it's tearin' me in two
The pain of losing you is tearing me apart and causing me so much distress.
You took away the dream I wanted more than anything
Losing you has shattered the dream of being together that I held onto so dearly.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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.