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
Light of a Clear Blue Morning
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've been a waitin' for the morning
It's been a long hard fight
But I see a brand new day a dawning
I've been looking for the sunshine
You know I ain't seen it in so long
But everything's gonna work out just fine
And everything's gonna be all right
'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
It's been a long long time
Since I've known the taste of freedom
And those clinging vines
That had me bound, well I don't need 'em
Oh, I've been like a captured eagle, you know an eagle's born to fly
Now that I have won my freedom, like an eagle I am eager for the sky
And I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Ooh, everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
And I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Ooh and everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
"Light of a Clear Blue Morning" by Dolly Parton is a song about perseverance, hope and optimism in the face of adversity. The song starts with the singer expressing their relief that the long, dark night is finally over and a brand new day is dawning. The lyrics convey that the singer has gone through a difficult period but they are now seeing a brighter light at the end of the tunnel. They have been waiting for this morning to come and they are finally starting to see a glimpse of sunshine after a long time.
The second verse touches on the theme of freedom. The singer sings about how they haven't known the taste of freedom for a long time, but how they are now breaking free from the things that have been holding them back. It seems like this could be a personal revelation or could refer to a larger struggle, like civil rights or women's liberation. The song becomes more triumphant in the chorus, where the singer repeats that they can see the light of a clear blue morning and that everything will be alright.
Ultimately, the song's message is one of hope and perseverance. The singer has gone through difficult times but they have emerged stronger and are looking forward to a brighter future. This song is a reminder that even on the darkest of days, there is always hope for a better tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a long dark night
I've been going through a difficult time lately
And I've been a waitin' for the morning
I've been waiting for things to get better for a while now
It's been a long hard fight
I've had to go through a lot of struggles and hardships
But I see a brand new day a dawning
But I'm starting to see that things are looking up
I've been looking for the sunshine
I've been searching for happiness and hope
You know I ain't seen it in so long
I haven't felt happy or hopeful for a very long time
But everything's gonna work out just fine
But I have faith that everything will be okay in the end
And everything's gonna be all right
And I truly believe that everything will be okay
That's been all wrong
My situation and circumstances have been all wrong, but I'm hopeful for a change
'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I'm hopeful for a clear and bright future ahead
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see that a new day is coming, with new opportunities and blessings
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
And I have faith that everything will turn out okay
It's gonna be okay
I know that things may be tough right now, but I truly believe that everything will be okay
Since I've known the taste of freedom
It's been a long time since I've felt truly free
And those clinging vines
And all of the things that have been holding me back
That had me bound, well I don't need 'em
That have been keeping me trapped, I don't need them anymore
Oh, I've been like a captured eagle, you know an eagle's born to fly
I've been feeling trapped and stifled, but I know that I have the potential to soar
Now that I have won my freedom, like an eagle I am eager for the sky
Now that I am free from everything holding me back, I am excited and hopeful for what's to come
Ooh and everything's gonna be all right
I'm confident that everything will be okay
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything will be okay
Everything's gonna be all right
I know that everything will turn out okay in the end
It's gonna be okay
I have faith that everything will be okay
Everything's gonna be all right
I'm confident that everything will be okay
Everything's gonna be all right
I know that everything will turn out okay in the end
Everything's gonna be all right
I'm hopeful and confident that everything will be okay
It's gonna be okay
I truly believe that everything will be okay
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@audreyeldringhoff7240
It's been a long dark night
And I've been a waitin' for the morning
It's been a long hard fight
But I see a brand new day a dawning
I've been looking for the sunshine
You know, I ain't seen it in so long
And everything's gonna work out just fine
And everything's gonna be all right
That's been all wrong
'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
And everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
It's been a long, long time
Since I've known the taste of freedom
Those clinging vines
That had me bound, well I don't need 'em
I've been like a captured eagle,
You know, an eagle's born to fly
Now that I, I've won my freedom
Like an eagle, I am eager for the sky
'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
But I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
@christophermyron978
Today is Day 3 of my sobriety. My best friend forwarded this song to me and I just cried. Happy tears bc in this tough time Dolly makes me feel so safe.
@marktubbs5805
Excellent, Christopher. How are you doing today, a week on?
@sydastark
I’m on day eight, and I’ve decided to memorize this song today. I hope that you’re doing well wherever you are in your journey.
@TheHeidibrooke
Christopher Myron You can do this, turn to Jesus. He will set you free. Sending up a prayer for you.
@lauracuthbert5630
Sending you love
@jamiecook434
I pray that your In the midst of your journey and are stronger every day
@ginnymiller2448
I don’t know how I got this far through life without ever hearing this song before. This song is amazing, it brought tears to my eyes. I’ve had a rough go of things for the last 7 years. The only thing that keeps me going other than my pets, is the hope that today is my last bad day, and tomorrow will be the start of the breakthrough miracles I’ve been seeking for so long. I was just reading that Dolly wrote this song herself. This woman’s talent is a gift to music lovers everywhere. Bless you, Dolly ❤️
@iamkatehurley
I think I've read that she has written about 3,000 songs! She's definitely not the dumb blonde people used to think she was.
@madeleine3873
There is nothing better than the sound of Dolly’s voice ❤️❤️❤️❤️
@rosemedellin2905
This month is the 15th anniversary of my mother's passing and the end of an unhealthy 25 year marriage. All this i have carried by myself with no family around and isolating, lacking the courage and the strength to lean on any one for support. But Dolly, on the other hand, has forever been my saving Grace. I had been feeling very blue. not having seen the sun or sky for some time, living in cold VERY foggy San Francisco and waking the other morning i heard the Wailin Jennys singing this song, only to discover it was Dolly's! Definitely. A. Message--as are all of her songs to me. My mom (as do most of our mamas) would always tell me " everything is going to be alright" and that is what she wanted me to hear that day, especially this month. I love you, Dolly! I am consumed with hope and joy every time i hear this song.