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
Making Believe
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's leaving me alone and so blue
I'll always dream, still I'll never own you
Making believe, its all I can do
Can't hold you close when you're not with me
You're somebody's love, you'll never be mine
Making believe that I'll spend my lifetime
Loving you and making believe
Making believe that I never lost you
But my happy hours are fun and so few
My plans for the future will never come true
Making believe what else can I do
Can't hold you close when you're not with me
You're somebody's love, you'll never be mine
Making believe that I'll spend my lifetime
Loving you and making believe
In Dolly Parton's song "Making Believe," the singer is resigned to the fact that the person they love does not love them back. The lyrics depict a sense of loneliness and hopelessness, as the singer tries to cope with their unrequited love by living in a world of make-believe. The line "Making believe that you still love me" is a poignant reminder of the singer's unrequited love, as they know that this is the only way they can have any semblance of a romantic relationship with the person they love.
The line "Can't hold you close when you're not with me, you're somebody's love, you'll never be mine" is a powerful expression of the singer's sense of loss and longing. They know that they can never have the person they love, but they still have to live with the pain of their unrequited love. The line "Making believe that I'll spend my lifetime-loving you and making believe" is a testament to the power of hope, as the singer tries to keep their love for the other person alive, even when it seems impossible.
Overall, "Making Believe" explores the themes of unrequited love, loss, and the struggle to maintain hope in the face of overwhelming odds.
Line by Line Meaning
Making believe that you still love me
Pretending that your love for me is still true even though I know it isn't, causing me to feel lonely and sad.
It's leaving me alone and so blue
Your lack of love for me is making me feel isolated and depressed.
I'll always dream, still I'll never own you
Although I'll keep on hoping, I can never have you in the way I want because your heart belongs to someone else.
Making believe, its all I can do
Pretending is the only option I have left, to cope with the sadness of unrequited love.
Can't hold you close when you're not with me
When you're not by my side, I can't physically touch or embrace you.
You're somebody's love, you'll never be mine
The reality is that you are committed to another, and I can never be the object of your affection.
Making believe that I'll spend my lifetime
I'll keep on pretending that I will always love you and never let go, even though it's not true.
Loving you and making believe
My only way of loving you is through my imagination, by pretending that we have a future together.
Making believe that I never lost you
I'll pretend that you're still mine and that I never experienced the pain of losing you.
But my happy hours are fun and so few
I do have moments of happiness, but they are rare and fleeting since the reality of your absence always looms in the back of my mind.
My plans for the future will never come true
The dreams and aspirations I had for us as a couple have no chance of materializing since they were based on a fantasy.
Making believe what else can I do
Pretending is the only way I can still feel a sense of closeness to you, even though it's just an illusion.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jimmy Work
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pi286
Im 28, never gave Dolly a chance…thought she just had a ‘country accent’… well I stayed up until 3am binging listening to Dollys songs… and WOW. Her voice made me cry… simply perfection. 😊😊
@alwaysjeasus
Should try lyreta Lynn she is as good if not better
@nathaliebresson9976
Makes me cry...incredible voice
@judedokey2909
I really love everything about you more especially your angelic voice. No one can beat you in terms of voice. Supernatural
@MoJoPiano
I think Miss Kitty Wells would highly approve of Dolly's rendition of her big 1955 hit. Thanks and FIVE STARS!
@stellalovell7431
She still got it love her
@nickjackson3272
You either love it or hate it. To those of you that hate it shame on you. Got to love Dolly Parton love it for ever still listening in 2018
@dustinlongie1102
Such a Beautiful song💞💞💞💞
@UMBAH22KAS
love this song
@TheRobric01
this is Great!!!!