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
Joy To The World
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let earth receive her king
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessing flow
Far as the curse is found
Far as the curse is found
Far as, far as the curse is found
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love
The lyrics to Dolly Parton's "Joy to the World" is a joyous celebration of the arrival of Jesus Christ, who is referred to as the "King" and "Savior" in the song. The first stanza calls for everyone to prepare their hearts for Jesus to come into their lives - "Let every heart prepare Him room." The repetitive phrase "And heaven and nature sing" emphasizes the magnitude of the event and the fact that even the natural world is rejoicing.
The second stanza focuses on the impact of Christ's reign on the world, proclaiming that "The Savior reigns" and urging people to sing songs of praise. The imagery used - of fields, floods, rocks, hills, and plains - represents the entirety of creation joining in the celebration. The phrase "Repeat the sounding joy" is repeated twice, reinforcing the message that this is a time of great joy and rejoicing.
The final stanza speaks to the transformative power of Christ's arrival, declaring that he has come to eradicate sins and sorrows and bless the entire world. The phrase "Far as the curse is found" refers to the biblical idea of a curse on the earth that was brought about by human sin, and suggests that Christ's blessings extend to the farthest reaches of the earth. The song concludes with an affirmation of Christ's righteous and loving rule over the world and a call for people to "prove" the "glories" of his righteousness.
Line by Line Meaning
Joy to the world! The Lord is come
Let us all express our happiness and delight because our Lord has arrived
Let earth receive her king
The earth should welcome and accept the arrival of our king
Let every heart prepare Him room
Let us all prepare ourselves emotionally and spiritually for the arrival of the lord in our hearts
And heaven and nature sing
The heavens and the nature joins us in singing praises to the Lord
Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns
Let us all rejoice because the savior is now in power and control
Let men their songs employ
Let all people make use of their voices to sing joyful songs
While fields and floods
Even the fields and floods are joining in the celebration
Rocks, hills and plains
The rocks, hills, and plains also participate in the jubilation
Repeat the sounding joy
Everyone should repeat the joyful sounds of songs and praises to the savior
No more let sins and sorrows grow
May sins and sorrows cease to propagate and grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
May the ground no longer be plagued with thorns
He comes to make His blessing flow
The Lord is here to bless us all and bless our land
Far as the curse is found
The Lord's blessings extend as far as the curse has touched us
He rules the world with truth and grace
The Almighty governs the world with both truth and mercy
And makes the nations prove
The nations are made to acknowledge and experience the Lord's power and might
The glories of His righteousness
Let us celebrate and appreciate the Lord's justice and holiness
And wonders of His love
May we marvel and wonder at the depth and breadth of the Lord's kindness and love
And wonders of His love
May we marvel and wonder at the depth and breadth of the Lord's kindness and love
And wonders, wonders of His love
May we be amazed and astonished at the wonders and beauty of the Lord's enduring love
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, FRED BOCK MUSIC CO.,INC.
Written by: Isaac Watts
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wendy Ramirez
Love your voice ❤️Dolly amazing voice 🎤and the Christmas 🎄 music 🎶 is beautiful as you are to
Studio2019 NASA
Hermosa canción, lindo mensaje🤗
Rose Evers
Dolly, thank you for continuing to share your talent, a God given talent! You bright outlook certainly helps in these days! Thank you God for music🎶
Bryan Mathew
Love 🌈DolLy Too!!.
Marline Ramlotchan
Very beautiful voice.. Awesome.. 🌹❤️
coco💃
One of my best n fav Christmas album at all time is Dolly Parton n Kenny Rogers. May your soul rest in peace of the Lord Mr Rogers,have a blessed Christmas in the beautiful Kingdom n Choir of the Lord Jesus🙏🙏🙏🎅🎄❄☃️❄🎊🤶🎄🎁💫💫💫💫❤❤❤❤
Christina Is here
A favourite song by a beautiful singer! 💕
Allen Trice
Oh Dolly Parton! 👱👢🎸 You are still the angel of Christmas and a happy new song! 👼❄🎄⛄ Thanks and Merry Christmas to you! 🎄❄⛄🎅
Brett S
Dolly’s voice is music ! ❤️❤️
Kirsten Nielsen
I just love her Voice... THE Voice💞🎤🎶🎄🎀🎁💝💖