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 Two of Us
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But as long as we're together that's enough
If there were just the two of us how different things would be
No one could come between us from now on
The wagging tongues would speak no more the sounds of gossip gone
Without a prying ear to fall upon
But as long as we're together that's enough
Though we have no power over those around us
We can act as if there's just the two of us
[ steel - fiddle ]
Though clouds of doubt may drift about upon a stormy sea
I'll only draw you nearer onto me
As long as we're together we'll never walk alone
We'll build a world of sunshine of our own
No we can't control the evil that surround us...
In "Just The Two Of Us", Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner sing about the difficulties of facing the evil and gossip that surround them. The lyrics acknowledge that they cannot control the negativity that is present in their lives, but they find comfort in knowing that they have each other. The song imagines what it would be like if there were just the two of them, without anyone coming between them or spreading gossip about their relationship. They reflect on how different things would be if they only had to focus on their love for each other and not worry about the opinions of others.
Line by Line Meaning
No we can't control the evil that surround us
We acknowledge that there is negative energy that we cannot control and influence around us.
But as long as we're together that's enough
Our unity and bond is strong enough to keep us together and withstand any negativity.
If there were just the two of us how different things would be
Our relationship would be different and more peaceful if it were only us without external interference.
No one could come between us from now on
Without any outsiders, our relationship would be unbreakable and impenetrable.
The wagging tongues would speak no more the sounds of gossip gone
There would be no more rumors, gossip or hearsay to affect us or our relationship.
Without a prying ear to fall upon
There would be no one to listen in on our conversations and potentially use them against us in the future.
Though we have no power over those around us
We have no control or authority over others, their actions or their behavior.
We can act as if there's just the two of us
We can behave and react as if we are the only two people in the world and concentrate on our relationship.
Though clouds of doubt may drift about upon a stormy sea
There may be doubts and uncertainties that threaten our relationship, like clouds in a stormy sea.
I'll only draw you nearer onto me
During these difficult times, I will draw you closer to me and choose to love you even more.
As long as we're together we'll never walk alone
Our bond is so strong that we will never feel lonely or alone, as we have each other.
We'll build a world of sunshine of our own
We will create our own happy and positive world, full of love and warmth.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bukurie6861
Beautiful emotional performance!We are Pride for you♥️🌟🙏
@verasarkodie-mensah5405
I love this song. So on point, so moving for me.
@chinazomobegolu8880
My late husband played this song a lot to me.