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
Medley:
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight,
We're happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Gone away is the bluebird,
Here to stay is a new bird
As we go along,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say: Are you married?
We'll say: No man,
But you can do the job
When you're in town.
Later on, we'll conspire,
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid,
The plans that we've made,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing
Ring ting tingle-ing too
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you
Outside the snow is falling
And friends are calling "You Hoo"
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say: Are you married?
We'll say: No man,
But you can do the job
When you're in town.
Later on, we'll conspire,
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid,
The plans that we've made,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
To face unafraid,
The plans that we've made,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
The lyrics to Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers's song Medley are a beautiful tribute to the magic of winter, particularly the wonders of walking in a winter wonderland. The first verse invites the listener to appreciate the beauty of snow falling and sleigh bells ringing, creating a lovely sight and a happy feeling. The second verse talks about the change of season, as the bluebird leaves and a new bird comes to sing a love song. The two characters continue their stroll in the snow, singing about building snowmen and pretending that they are Parson Brown, asking if they are married, and then claiming that while they are not married, Parson Brown can perform the job when he is in town.
Later in the song, the two characters continue their adventure, with the added element of a sleigh ride. Snow is falling, and their friends are calling out to them. They keep building snowmen and making plans, still unafraid, as they continue to walk in a winter wonderland.
Overall, the song emphasizes the importance of appreciating life's simple pleasures, such as taking a walk in the snow or riding in a sleigh, and enjoying each other's company. It is a beautiful ode to winter and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
We pause to hear the sleigh bells ringing, and wonder if you can hear them too.
In the lane, snow is glistening
As we walk in the lane, we see the snow shining brightly and invitingly.
A beautiful sight,
The wonderland before us fills us with awe and beauty.
We're happy tonight,
The joyous feeling of the season and the beauty of the scene make us happy tonight.
Walking in a winter wonderland.
We walk hand in hand in awe of the beauty of the winter wonderland.
Gone away is the bluebird,
The bluebird that symbolizes warmth and lack of danger has left.
Here to stay is a new bird
In its place a new, unknown bird has settled.
He sings a love song,
The new bird is singing a song, perhaps of happiness or love, in contrast to the warmth of the bluebird's song.
As we go along,
We keep walking, hand in hand, contemplating the changes in nature that echo the changes in our lives.
Walking in a winter wonderland.
We keep walking through the winter wonderland under the new bird's song, bringing new feelings of love and happiness.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
We make the most of the winter landscape by building a snowman in the meadow nearby.
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
We pretend the snowman is Parson Brown, perhaps a well-known figure in our community.
He'll say: Are you married?
We amuse ourselves by imagining what Parson Brown might ask, and come up with the humorous question of whether we're married.
We'll say: No man,
We'll tease back in response, saying we're not married (or not married yet).
But you can do the job
We chuckle at the thought of the snowman as a stand-in for the absent Parson Brown, imagining him presiding over a ceremony in his place.
When you're in town.
We laugh together, enjoying the moment and each other's company.
Later on, we'll conspire,
As the day wears on and the night draws close, we start to think about making bigger plans.
As we dream by the fire
We move inside and dream by the fire, the warmth of the fire stoking our hopes and inspirations.
To face unafraid,
We face the future without fear, believing that whatever plans we make will come to fruition.
The plans that we've made,
We discuss and make plans, big or small, for the future.
Walking in a winter wonderland.
And through it all, we keep walking together, hand in hand, in this winter wonderland.
Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing
We pause again to listen to the sleigh bells, enjoying their sound and feeling the magic of the season.
Ring ting tingle-ing too
We listen to the bells jingle with excitement and anticipation.
Come on, it's lovely weather
We're filled with joy and camaraderie, and revel in the beauty of the season.
For a sleigh ride together with you
We invite the listener to join us in a sleigh ride, to share in the joy and warmth of the winter season.
Outside the snow is falling
We think again of the beauty of the snowy landscape, with the snow falling outside.
And friends are calling "You Hoo"
Our friends are out in the storm, calling our names and asking us to join them for more fun.
Come on, it's lovely weather
We invite the listener again to enjoy the beauty of the scene with us, and to ignore the storm and dark of night outside.
For a sleigh ride together with you
We once again invite the listener to join us in the joys of the season, and to share in the beauty and warmth of a sleigh ride.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Richard B. Smith, Felix Bernard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dolly Parton and June Carter
I was at this concert! She waved at me during the song out side your door!!!! Dolly Parton is such a great singer totally amazing! I saw her here and I loved it! Did you hear the story about the drummer? I did! Because I was there! Love Dolly!😍
Vince Wagers
Thank you so much for posting this, I am still waiting for Dolly to post Florida concerts. I can not get enough of Dolly live, first time was way back in 1978, I was 13.
omorado
I wasn't sure how I'd like Dolly on stage. I feel like some acts don't translate well. I just saw her this last weekend... She absolutely killed it!! Perfect show. Love her more than ever!
Kieron George
Absolutely fantastic!
zonrad van
this song brings so many memories
Todd Carver
Was a great show!!
John Paolo Nartatez
Anyone can argue w/ me, but Dolly Parton is the best and will always be greatest singer of all time! 🦋♥️
Elma Ware
All the Old classics so beautiful Brings back memories. Thanks for sharing. 💕
whiskeydevil
absolutely brilliant
kingsley Moeng
Love this concert amazing