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
Mary Of the Wild Moor
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Poor Mary came wandering home with her child
Till she came at her own father's door
Papa oh papa she cried come down and open the door
Or the child in my arms will perish and die
From the winds that blow across the wild moor
While the watch dogs did howl and the village bells tolled
The winds blew across the wild moor
Oh how the old man must have felt
When he came to the door the next morn
And found Mary dead but the child yet alive
Clutched close to his dead mother's breast
Now the old man in grief pined away
And the day to it's mother went soon
And no one they say has lived there to this day
And the cottage is left to ruins
Now the villagers point out the place
Where the willows droop over the door
Saying there Mary died once a gay village bride
From the winds that blew across the wild moor
From the winds that blew across the wild moor
The lyrics to Dolly Parton's song, "Mary Of the Wild Moor," tell a haunting story of a young mother named Mary wandering home with her child on a cold and windy night. She desperately seeks refuge at her own father's door, but he is deaf to her pleading cries to open the door. Mary and her child are left to suffer in the harsh winds blowing across the wild moor. The watch dogs howl and the village bells toll as Mary's father remains unmoved, and the winds continue to rage.
The next morning, Mary's father finally goes to the door and discovers his daughter dead, with her child still alive and clinging to her breast. The old man is overcome with grief and soon passes away himself. The once-thriving cottage is left in ruins, with only the willows drooping over the door as a sad reminder of the tragedy that took place there.
The lyrics provide a vivid and emotional description of a young mother's tragic fate, as well as the grief and decay that follow in the wake of her death. The song is a haunting tribute to those who suffer and perish in the harsh and unforgiving wilderness.
Line by Line Meaning
On a cold winty night as the winds blew across the wild moor
On a chilly winter's eve, cold gusts blew over the untamed moorland.
Poor Mary came wandering home with her child
An impoverished Mary roamed back home along with her child.
Till she came at her own father's door
She kept wandering until she reached her father's doorstep.
Papa oh papa she cried come down and open the door
In desperation, Mary beseeched her father to open the door.
Or the child in my arms will perish and die
She feared for the infant's life in her arms.
From the winds that blow across the wild moor
The chilly winds blowing on the moorland were the cause of her worry.
But the man was deaf to her cry not a sound of her voice did he hear
Regrettably, her father was oblivious to her plea and deaf to her voice.
While the watch dogs did howl and the village bells tolled
The village was aware of the incident, as the hounds barked and the bells chimed.
The winds blew across the wild moor
The harsh winds continued blowing unabated over the moorland.
Oh how the old man must have felt
One can only imagine the feelings the father would have experienced.
When he came to the door the next morn
The subsequent morning, he approached the door.
And found Mary dead but the child yet alive
He discovered Mary's lifeless body, but the baby was still alive.
Clutched close to his dead mother's breast
The infant was clasped tight to his departed mother's chest.
Now the old man in grief pined away
Overcome with sorrow, the old man gradually withered away.
And the day to it's mother went soon
In due course, the day had come to an end.
And no one they say has lived there to this day
Legend has it that none resided there since then.
And the cottage is left to ruins
The cottage has since fallen to ruin.
Now the villagers point out the place
The locals now identify the spot.
Where the willows droop over the door
Where the willows bend over the entrance.
Saying there Mary died once a gay village bride
Recounting the tale of Mary, a happy bride from the town.
From the winds that blew across the wild moor
Whose life was claimed by the unforgiving winds on the moorland.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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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.