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
Living On Memories Of You
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I see no sunshine in sight
Your memory keeps blocking my view
And I'm living on memories of you
Can't eat when I'm hungry
Can't sleep when I'm tired
And all of these tears
Can't put out this fire
And I'm living on memories of you
There's just no forgetting about you
How long can I survive without you
I just can't believe that we're through
And I'm living on memories of you
Can't eat when I'm hungry
I can't sleep when I'm tired
And all of my tears
Can't drown out this fire
Oh, your memory just won't turn me loose
And I'm living on memories of you
Yes, I'm living on memories of you
The lyrics to Dolly Parton's song "Living On Memories Of You" convey a sense of deep melancholy and longing. The singer is struggling to move on from a past relationship, which they describe as blocking their view of any future happiness. The imagery of "dark days" and "no sunshine in sight" suggests that the singer is in a state of depression or despair. The repetition of phrases like "living on memories of you" and "your memory just won't turn me loose" underscores the intensity of the singer's attachment to their former partner. The singer can't eat or sleep, and their tears can't extinguish the "fire" of their feelings.
One interpretation of the song is that it reflects the universal experience of heartbreak and loss. Anyone who has gone through a difficult breakup can relate to the feelings of sadness, grief, and desperation expressed in the lyrics. The song shows us that even someone as accomplished and celebrated as Dolly Parton is not immune to the pain of love gone wrong. Another interpretation is that the song has a broader message about the power of memory and the human capacity for nostalgia. Memories are often bittersweet, and while they can provide comfort and solace in times of trouble, they can also trap us in the past and prevent us from moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
My days are as dark as my nights
I am constantly consumed by sadness.
And I see no sunshine in sight
I can't see any hope or happiness in my future.
Your memory keeps blocking my view
I am unable to move on from the past and my memories of you are preventing me from seeing clearly.
And I'm living on memories of you
I am solely relying on my memories of you to keep going.
Can't eat when I'm hungry
My heartache is so intense that I have no appetite.
Can't sleep when I'm tired
My thoughts of you are so overwhelming that I can't even sleep.
And all of these tears
Despite all the tears I have shed, nothing has changed.
Can't put out this fire
I am unable to extinguish the strong emotions I still have for you.
Your memory just won't turn me loose
I can't let go of the memories and feelings I have for you.
And I'm living on memories of you
Again, I am relying solely on my memories of you to keep going.
There's just no forgetting about you
I am incapable of forgetting you and the impact you had on my life.
How long can I survive without you
I feel as though I cannot live without you, and my survival is dependent on having you close.
I just can't believe that we're through
I am still in disbelief that our relationship has ended.
And I'm living on memories of you
Once again, I am relying solely on my memories of you to get through this.
Can't eat when I'm hungry
Reiterating the fact that my heartache is still so strong that I can't even eat.
I can't sleep when I'm tired
Again, my thoughts of you are preventing me from getting any rest.
And all of my tears
Despite my continued sadness and aforementioned tears, I am no closer to moving on.
Can't drown out this fire
Once again, I am unable to extinguish the strong emotions and feelings I still have for you.
Oh, your memory just won't turn me loose
I am still unable to let go of the memories and feelings you left behind.
And I'm living on memories of you
One final time, I am relying solely on my memories of you to keep moving forward.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@k80_
What an underrated song. Long live dolly
@MsDancehall7
love this song đź’—
@jorgtschache4535
Sie ist einfach Klasse!!
@fable_enthusiast
Beautiful...just mesmerizing
@aldagemi8739
Very beautiful song and very beautiful voice too.
@avian8338
LOVE IT!! thanks for posting!
@marymwiiya4223
Love you Dolly
@craigbrown3744
Beautiful Dolly.
Thankyou Dolly.
@bensmith1362
She is de best ov all
@pjt759
my favorite