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
Little Blossom
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wonder why mommy don't come
She told me to shut up my blue eyes
And before I woke up she'd be home
She said she was going to see Grandma
Who lives by the river so wide
And I guess my mommy's feeling bad
So I guess I'll go down and meet daddy
Perhaps he has stopped at the store
It's a great big store full of bottles
And I wish he wouldn't go there anymore
So out in the night with the baby
Her little heart beating with pride
'Til her tired feet entered the gin palace
With music all radiant with light
Oh daddy she cried as she reached him
I think that the music's so sweet
But it's almost suppertime daddy
Little blossom wants something to eat
A moment his blurred eyes gazed wildly
Down into her face sweet and fair
And as the demon possessed him
He grasped at the back of a chair
A moment a second was over
He lifted her fair golden head
A moment the baby's left trembled
Then poor little blossom was dead
The first verse of Dolly Parton's song "Little Blossom" sets the scene of a child alone and waiting for her mother to come home. She obediently closes her blue eyes as her mother told her to do before she left, hoping that her mother will return before she wakes up. But as time passes and her mother doesn't come back, the child decides to go looking for her father instead, who she hopes is at the store, but dreads going to because of the bottles he buys. The second verse describes the child's trip to the gin palace, with the excitement of the music all around. The child finds her father, and pleased by the music, begs him to buy her some food. In a tragic twist, the father's addiction causes him to become violent and in a drunken rage, he unintentionally kills his daughter.
The song poignantly portrays the dangers of alcoholism and how it can lead to the loss of innocent lives. The child's voice and the contrast of the sweet melody with the dark lyrics make this song powerful and evocative. Dolly Parton's use of language is also notable, with her vivid descriptions of the child's journey through the streets, and the distressing portrayal of the father's behavior towards the end. Ultimately, the song serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting children from the dangers of alcohol and the tragedy that can occur when addiction takes hold.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh dear I'm so tired and so lonesome
The singer is feeling very tired and lonely.
I wonder why mommy don't come
The singer is wondering why their mother hasn't returned home.
She told me to shut up my blue eyes
The singer's mother instructed them to close their eyes before she left.
And before I woke up she'd be home
The artist expected their mother to be back by the time they woke up.
She said she was going to see Grandma
The artist's mother told them she was visiting their grandmother.
Who lives by the river so wide
The grandmother lives near a large river.
And I guess my mommy's feeling bad
The singer thinks their mother is not feeling well.
And perhaps she won't be home tonight
The artist is worried that their mother may not return home tonight.
So I guess I'll go down and meet daddy
The artist decides to go look for their father.
Perhaps he has stopped at the store
The artist thinks their father might be at the store.
It's a great big store full of bottles
The store the father goes to is a large one with a lot of bottles.
And I wish he wouldn't go there anymore
The artist wishes their father would stop going to that store.
So out in the night with the baby
The singer goes out into the night with their baby sibling.
Her little heart beating with pride
The baby's heart is beating strongly with excitement.
'Til her tired feet entered the gin palace
The singer and baby enter a place with a lot of alcohol called a gin palace.
With music all radiant with light
The music in the gin palace is lively and bright.
Oh daddy she cried as she reached him
The artist's baby sibling calls out to their father when they find him.
I think that the music's so sweet
The baby enjoys the music in the gin palace.
But it's almost suppertime daddy
The baby is hungry and it's almost time for dinner.
Little blossom wants something to eat
The baby's nickname is Little Blossom, and they are hungry.
A moment his blurred eyes gazed wildly
The father's vision is unclear and he looks around frantically.
Down into her face sweet and fair
The father looks at his baby daughter's sweet and innocent face.
And as the demon possessed him
The father is overcome by addiction and behaves erratically.
He grasped at the back of a chair
The father reaches out and grabs the back of a chair.
A moment a second was over
The situation changes in a split second.
He lifted her fair golden head
The father picks up his baby daughter's head.
A moment the baby's left trembled
The baby's body shakes in fear or confusion.
Then poor little blossom was dead
The baby dies as a result of the father's violent outburst.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HANK THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CFSF192
My grandmother introduced me to country music. This was one of her favourites.
Years later, I can relate to it on her level.
A true story for some of us out there.
Beautifully presented.
@brittneyharden9102
This is the poem my great-grandma found and read to me all the time! Was my favorite 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
@marysmith9954
I first heard this song as a child and it always made me cry.
@billybobdeniro
These kinds of songs were my bedside Scottish lullabies.
@brendameeks3189
I remember you and I singing this
@Deoguiinho
"she told me to shut up my blue eyes" this moment is so sad :(
@littlesparrow185
yes this is a very sad song
@jamescowger7088
littlesparrow185 a very very sad song
@billbishopboyiscool
This is the saddest song I've ever heard.
@user-zk2uo8wt4u
This song is so sad