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
Life's Like Poetry
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until now there's always been a missing line
You know life's too short to hide a good thing you feel
And I find the morning after
Is the best time to determine if it's real
Baby, finding you gave my whole world reason to rhyme
'Cause life's like poetry and in my poem bay
Life's too short to think about right or wrong
And the only thing I wonder 'bout
Is where you been so long
'Cause baby finding you gave my whole world reason and rhyme
And life's like poetry and in my poem bay
Until now there's always been a missing line
Until now, there's always been a missing line
In Dolly Parton's song "Life's Like Poetry", she compares life to a poem and her lover as the missing line in her poem. She speaks about how life is too short to hide the good feelings we have inside, and when we find someone who gives our whole world reason to rhyme, it is important to hold onto them. She speaks of the morning after as the best time to determine if what she feels is real, as it is a moment of clarity.
Dolly Parton's use of poetry as a metaphor for life is powerful as it brings to mind the idea of our lives being a series of interconnected and often beautiful moments that come together to form a whole, much like a poem. The missing line in the poem represents the missing piece in our lives until we find the person who completes us. Parton's message is to embrace life's fleeting moments and cherish the good things that come our way.
This song is an uplifting and positive ode to love, life, and the power of finding someone who completes us. It encourages us to be honest with ourselves and open to the possibilities that life presents us with.
Line by Line Meaning
Life's like poetry and in my poem bay
Life can be compared to poetry, and in my personal story, there is a special place for you.
Until now there's always been a missing line
Until I met you, there was something missing in my life, and my story was incomplete.
You know life's too short to hide a good thing you feel
We should not keep our feelings hidden as life is too short to not express the good things we feel.
And I find the morning after Is the best time to determine if it's real
The morning after helps me determine if this happiness is real or just temporary.
Baby, finding you gave my whole world reason to rhyme
Finding you has given my life a purpose and direction, and everything now seems to be in harmony.
'Cause life's like poetry and in my poem bay
Just like poetry, life is a beautiful creation, and you have become an integral part of my story.
Life's too short to think about right or wrong
We should not spend too much time worrying about what is right or wrong and instead focus on living our lives to the fullest.
And the only thing I wonder 'bout Is where you been so long
I can't help but wonder why it took so long for us to find each other.
'Cause baby finding you gave my whole world reason and rhyme
Finding you has given my life new meaning and direction; everything now seems to be in harmony.
Until now there's always been a missing line
Before I met you, there was always something missing in my life, but now I feel complete.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HAGGARD
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.