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 The Way I Am
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you hear me crying in the night
Pretend that you don't hear me it's alright
Don't ask me why I'm crying, please don't make a sound
I don't know why, it's just the way I am
And if you think I act a little strange
And you don't understand when I do things
I don't know why, it's just the way I am
And even though you may not understand me
I hope that you'll accept me like I am
For there are many sides of me, my mind and spirit must be free
And I might smile when other folks would frown
I don't know why, it's just the way I am
I might go out chasing butterflies
And if I fail to catch one I might cry
And if you want me you might find me in the meadow walking 'round
I don't know why, it's just the way I am
I might be home and busy cleaning house
And in the middle of my work I might go out
And go play games with children at the playground
It makes me happy, and that's just the way I am
And even though you may not understand me
I hope that you'll accept me like I am
For there are childish sides of me
My mind and spirit must be free
I might smile when you think I should frown
I don't know why, it's just the way I am
In "Just The Way I Am," Dolly Parton sings about being unapologetically herself, and not being understood by everyone around her. The opening verse sets the tone for the rest of the song as she sings about crying in the night, but wanting others to pretend they don't hear her instead of questioning her about it. She doesn't even know why she gets like that, but she wants others to accept her the way she is. The same goes for her quirks and idiosyncrasies that may seem strange to others, like running through the fields during a rainstorm or chasing butterflies, and even abruptly leaving housework to play games with children. She just wants to be accepted for the many sides of her spirit and mind, even if they seem childish or unusual.
What Dolly is expressing in this song is the importance of self-acceptance, and the power it has to help you live a happier and more fulfilling life. Her call to action for others to accept her as she is shows how much she values being true to herself, even if that means not always fitting in with the crowd. The honest vulnerability of her lyrics, combined with the catchy melody and upbeat rhythm make "Just The Way I Am" a classic example of Dolly Parton's signature brand of country music.
Line by Line Meaning
If you hear me crying in the night
If I happen to cry during the night
Pretend that you don't hear me it's alright
Don't let me know that you hear me cry
Don't ask me why I'm crying, please don't make a sound
Don't question me as to the reason I'm crying, and don't make any noise
I don't know why, it's just the way I am
I don't have an answer as to why I cry, but it's just part of my character
And if you think I act a little strange
If you think I'm behaving in an unusual way
And you don't understand when I do things
And if you don't comprehend when I engage in certain activities or actions
Like running through the fields while the rain is pouring down
Such as sprinting through the fields whilst it's raining heavily
I don't know why, it's just the way I am
I don't have a reason, but that's just who I am
And even though you may not understand me
Even if you don't quite get me
I hope that you'll accept me like I am
I wish that you'll embrace me as I am
For there are many sides of me, my mind and spirit must be free
Because there are numerous facets to my personality and I need to have liberty of thought and spirit
And I might smile when other folks would frown
I may smile when others would frown due to a particular situation or circumstance
I don't know why, it's just the way I am
I don't have an explanation, but it's just who I am
I might go out chasing butterflies
I could be pursuing butterflies outside
And if I fail to catch one I might cry
And if I don't manage to catch one, I may shed some tears
And if you want me you might find me in the meadow walking 'round
If you're looking for me, I could be walking around in the meadow
I don't know why, it's just the way I am
I don't have a justification, but that's just part of my personality
I might be home and busy cleaning house
I could be at home tidying up
And in the middle of my work I might go out
But in the middle of my chore, I may end up going out for a bit
And go play games with children at the playground
And participate in games with kids at the playground
It makes me happy, and that's just the way I am
It brings me joy, and that's just how I'm wired
And even though you may not understand me
Even if you don't quite fathom me
I hope that you'll accept me like I am
I wish that you'll embrace me as I am
For there are childish sides of me
Because there are childlike aspects to my character
My mind and spirit must be free
I need to have the ability to think and feel freely
I might smile when you think I should frown
I may show happiness when you would normally expect sadness or anger
I don't know why, it's just the way I am
I don't have an explanation, it's just part of what makes me who I am
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jennie Anderson
Always will love you Dolly.. A great inspiration to all!!
ThinkCareShare
I love this song so much and everything it means... it makes me cry :)
Pablo Vicens Hernandez
One of the many sweet songs she ever sang l♡ve it.
Ly Dia
I believe every word... I want to Live just like this. My mind and spirit must be free
Hotoli Kinimi
I always love Dolly right from my childhood. I love this song. My daughter and i dance and act this song .
Stanley Buliba
l remember my dad who loved country music
Ron Patrizzi
what a boring world it would be if we are all the same every body got some vices
jan meijer
Dolly is good