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
Love Is Only As Strong
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love is only as strong as your weakest moment
And in that moment of weakness anyone can do wrong
Oh, weak woman, like a crooked river
Follows a path of least resistance
I went in the wrong place at the right time
Where I didn't have any business
I'm ashamed of me
But how can I ask the one I love
For his forgiveness
Love is only as strong as your weakest moment
And in that moment of weakness
Anyone can go wrong
The lyrics of Dolly Parton’s song “Love Is Only As Strong” express the idea that love is a delicate and fragile thing, and it can be tested by a person’s weakness. The song tells the story of a person who has betrayed their loved one and is struggling with the guilt and shame of their actions. The singer acknowledges that they did wrong and is ashamed of their behavior, but they don’t know how to ask for forgiveness from the one they love. The analogy of a weak woman as a crooked river that follows the path of least resistance highlights the notion that it's easy to do wrong when we give in to temptation.
Moreover, the line “I went in the wrong place at the right time where I didn't have any business” suggests that the singer’s actions were not premeditated, but happened in a moment of weakness. They didn't plan to betray their loved one, but they found themselves in a situation that was too tempting to resist. The chorus emphasizes the idea that love is only as strong as our weakest moment and that anyone can go wrong. It's a cautionary tale that teaches us to be mindful of our weaknesses and to work hard to strengthen our relationships.
Overall, the lyrics of “Love Is Only As Strong” are a poignant reminder that love requires effort, commitment, and sacrifice. It's not enough to say we love someone; we must demonstrate it through our actions and resist temptations that can weaken our relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is only as strong as your weakest moment
The strength of love is determined by the vulnerability of the person in their weakest moment.
And in that moment of weakness anyone can do wrong
When someone is vulnerable, even a person with good intent can do something wrong.
Oh, weak woman, like a crooked river
A woman who lacks strength is like a river that flows in the direction that's easiest.
Follows a path of least resistance
In their weakest moment, they will follow the path that's the least challenging.
I went in the wrong place at the right time
The person went to a place where they had no business being, and it was the wrong time to go.
Where I didn't have any business
The person was not supposed to be in that place.
Temptation overcame me and now I
The person was unable to resist temptation and ended up doing something wrong.
I'm ashamed of me
The person feels ashamed of themselves for doing something wrong.
But how can I ask the one I love
The person is questioning how they can ask forgiveness from the person they love.
For his forgiveness
The person wants the one they love to forgive them for their wrongdoing.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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.