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 you look so beautiful tonight
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then love show us beauty that only love can describe love you're so beautiful tonight
As you fill our hearts with tenderness and emotions inside
Lost in each other with the world closed outside
Oh this must be like heaven it's heaven to you and I love you're so beautiful tonight
Your nearness in the silence your rapid heartbeat
Your face touching mine then you whisper on my cheek
Oh love you're so beautiful tonight
As you fill our hearts...
I'll love you till the stars...
In the song "Love You're So Beautiful Tonight," Dolly Parton describes the beauty of love that becomes visible as the night sets in, replacing the golden light of the sun. The song celebrates the tenderness and emotions that love brings, while also creating an intimate atmosphere that dissolves the outside world. In this moment, the two lovers are lost in each other's company and the world around them is insignificant. Parton beautifully describes this feeling like heaven where the two individuals can revel in the beauty of their own company.
As the second paragraph begins, Parton paints an intimate picture of physical proximity and touch between two individuals in love. She describes feeling her partner's rapid heartbeat and their faces touching as they whisper sweet nothings to each other. The lyrics convey the depth of love and commitment shared by the couple where stars in the sky may lose their lights, but their love will continue to burn bright.
Line by Line Meaning
As night falls around us love's tender embrace replaces the sun's golden light
As darkness enshrouds us, we feel the warm and loving arms of our partner, and this replaces the radiant light of the sun.
Then love show us beauty that only love can describe love you're so beautiful tonight
With love, we get to see beauty that only love can fathom, and in this moment, my love, you look absolutely stunning.
As you fill our hearts with tenderness and emotions inside
Your love brings tender feelings and emotions that stir our hearts from within.
Lost in each other with the world closed outside
We are so wrapped up in each other's loving embrace that the rest of the world ceases to exist for us in this moment.
Oh this must be like heaven it's heaven to you and I love you're so beautiful tonight
This is what heaven must be like; being together like this feels like heaven both to you and me. My love, you are incredible tonight.
Your nearness in the silence your rapid heartbeat
In the serene atmosphere of silence, your nearness is amplified, and I can feel your heart beating fast.
Your face touching mine then you whisper on my cheek
As our faces touch, you whisper sweet nothings on my cheek, making my heart soar with love.
I'll love you till the stars in the heavens lose their lights
My love for you is infinite, and it will last until the very end of time, even when the stars in the universe lose their lights.
Oh love you're so beautiful tonight
My dear love, you look so incredibly beautiful tonight, and I can never tire of saying it.
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.