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
Just Someone I Used To Know
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One we made some time ago
When they ask who's in the picture with me
I say just "Someone I use to know"
Just someone, I used to spend some time with
Just a flame, that's lost its glow
But I don't them of the nights I cried without you
Just someone, I use to run around with
Just a friend from long ago
I don't tell them, how lost I am without you
I say just "Someone I use to know"
I say just "Someone I use to know"
The song Just Someone I Used to Know by Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner is a haunting ballad that speaks to the pain of lost love. The lyrics describe a photo that the singer carries with him of a person he used to know, but now they are just a memory. The singer is asked who is in the picture, and he responds that it is just someone he used to know. This line is repeated twice throughout the song, emphasizing the sense of loss and the attempt to move on from the past.
The lyrics convey a sense of sadness and longing, as the singer remembers the times they spent together, but also the nights he cried without the person he used to know. He tries to downplay his feelings to others, saying that his former flame is just a friend from long ago. However, he cannot deny the depth of his emotions, as he admits that he feels lost without the person he used to know. The chorus, with its repetition of the phrase "just someone I used to know," underscores the melancholy and wistful tone of the song.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was a major hit for Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton in 1969, reaching number five on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The song was written by Jack Clement, who was a producer and songwriter for Sun Records and also worked with Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. The song has been covered by many other artists over the years, including Bill Anderson, Emmylou Harris, and Kris Kristofferson.
Another interesting fact is that the song was written as a response to the growing popularity of the "Nashville Sound," which was a more polished and polished style of country music that included strings and choral arrangements. In contrast, Just Someone I Used to Know features a more traditional country sound, with acoustic guitar and fiddle, and was seen as a reaction against the slicker Nashville style.
The song's lyrics have been praised for their emotional depth and honesty, and have been interpreted as a commentary on lost love and the difficulty of moving on. The repetition of the phrase "just someone I used to know" has been likened to a mantra or a coping mechanism, as the singer tries to come to terms with his feelings.
Chords:
Verse 1:
E A E
There's a picture that I carry
B7 E
One we made some time ago
A E
When they ask who's in the picture with me
B7 E
I say just "Someone I use to know"
Chorus:
A E
Just someone, I used to spend some time with
B7 E
Just a flame, that's lost its glow
A E
But I don't them of the nights I cried without you
B7 E
I say just "Someone I use to know"
Line by Line Meaning
There's a picture that I carry
I hold onto a photo from the past
One we made some time ago
It's a picture of you and me when we were together
When they ask who's in the picture with me
People wonder who the person in the photo is
I say just "Someone I use to know"
I don't reveal who you are now, just that I used to know you
Just someone, I used to spend some time with
You were once a person I frequently spent time with
Just a flame, that's lost its glow
Our relationship lost its spark and passion
But I don't tell them of the nights I cried without you
I keep to myself the tears I shed missing you
I say just "Someone I use to know"
I keep our past private and only refer to you as someone I knew
Just someone, I use to run around with
You used to be my companion for fun activities
Just a friend from long ago
We were once close friends but now distant
I don't tell them, how lost I am without you
I don't reveal how much I feel incomplete without you
I say just "Someone I use to know"
I choose to keep our past and my feelings about it to myself
I say just "Someone I use to know"
I continue to refer to you as a part of my past and nothing more
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jack Clement
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@WhisperInTheWeeds
Lyrics
There's a picture that I carry
One we made some time ago
When they ask who's in the picture with me
I say just "Someone I use to know"
Just someone, I used to spend some time with
Just a flame, that's lost its glow
But I don't them of the nights I cried without you
I say just "Someone I use to know"
Just someone, I use to run around with
Just a friend from long ago
I don't tell them, how lost I am without you
I say just "Someone I use to know"
I say just "Someone I use to know"
@djkuhlman4998
Dear young people.
This is what we call good music.
Thank you β€οΈ
@charitysndhlovu7274
Tell them my brother
@juliequintero1592
Good sweet music
@vernelaedward9288
β@@juliequintero1592 aππQQ111011aπ
@beckyanderson5014
Country music for life πππ
@petrichor499
Music is art, its all different and people appreciate different types of it.
@wolfkin71
My God , Dolly is a true songbird if there ever was one . When she sings her part it sends chills all over my body , that little lady can sing β€
@agnesschazangwe7652
Very good music
@ruramaichivandire9138
I'll always come back here when someone likes this comment in appreciation of the beautiful sound and Dolly..... I love her music
@DennisRaymond-jl3mm
Hello,how are you doing