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
Mule Skinner Blues )
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good morning to you, Sir
Hey hey, yeah
Do you need another mule skinner
Down on your new mud run?
Hey hey, yeah
He-he-he-he-he-he
Well I'm a lady mule skinner
From down old Tennessee way
Hey hey, I come from Tennessee
I can make any mule listen
Or I won't accept your pay
Hey hey, I won't take your pay
Yodel-a-ee-he-he
He-he-he-he-he-he
Well, hey hey, little water boy
Won't you bring your water 'round?
Hey hey
If you don't like your job
Well, you can throw your bucket down
Throw it down boy, throw it down
Yodel-a-ee-he-he
He-he-he-he-he-he
Well, I've been working down in Georgia
At a greasy spoon cafe
Hey, 've been working in Georgia
Just to let a no good man
Call every cent of my pay
Hey hey and I'm sick of it
And wanna be a mule skinner
Yodel-a-ee-he-he
He-he-he-he-he-he
Yodel-a-ee-he-he
He-he-he-he-he-he
Mule skinner blues
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's "Mule Skinner Blues" tell the story of a female mule skinner, who hails from Tennessee and is looking for work. A mule skinner is a person who drives and cares for mules, typically in the context of a team of mules used for hauling goods. The song opens with the singer greeting the captain of the mule team and offering her services. She boasts that she can make any mule listen, and will only work for pay if she can accomplish this feat. The song has a playful, upbeat tone, with a distinctive yodeling chorus that adds to its catchiness.
Throughout the song, the singer interacts with different characters, including a water boy and a no-good man who has taken advantage of her previous employment. While the verses often describe difficult and unenjoyable labor, the overall tone of the song is positive and energetic. It seems to celebrate the hardworking spirit of people like the singer who are willing to do difficult jobs, highlighting the value of their contributions.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, good morning, Captain
Greeting the person in charge
Good morning to you, Sir
Polite response to the greeting
Hey hey, yeah
An interjection
Do you need another mule skinner
Asking if they need another worker who can manage mules
Down on your new mud run?
Asking if they need someone to work on a new project with mules and mud
Yodel-a-ee-he-he
An interjection
Well I'm a lady mule skinner
Introducing herself as a woman who can manage mules
From down old Tennessee way
Stating where she is from
I can make any mule listen
Claiming to have the skill to make any mule obey
Or I won't accept your pay
Saying that if she doesn't succeed, she won't accept any money for her work
Well, hey hey, little water boy
Addressing the person who brings water to the workers
Won't you bring your water 'round?
Asking for water to be brought over
If you don't like your job
Suggesting that if someone doesn't like their job, they should quit
Well, you can throw your bucket down
Telling the water boy he can quit if he doesn't like his job
Yodel-a-ee-he-he
An interjection
Well, I've been working down in Georgia
Talking about her past work experience in Georgia
At a greasy spoon cafe
Saying where she worked in Georgia
Just to let a no good man
Explaining why she worked at the cafe
Call every cent of my pay
Saying that her employer took all of her pay
Hey hey and I'm sick of it
Expressing frustration with the situation and wanting to do something else
And wanna be a mule skinner
Expressing desire to work as a mule skinner instead
Yodel-a-ee-he-he
An interjection
Mule skinner blues
Title of the song
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Merletastic
Now, this is the auditory equivalent of a good strong cup of coffee. Love it!
Star_Amie
My m used to play this to get me moving in the morning...it was the only way to get me to school on time....
barn bo
Get busy time!
Susie Brown
The energy in her vocals!
Víctor Morales
Amo a Dolly, sus canciones me encantan. También me parece un ser humano con un gran corazón y ojala todas las personas fuéramos como ella.
babytig3r
sii a mi tambien me encanta como es ella. se ve que es una persona genuina
Jenn T
Holy cow Mama! ... how have I NEVER heard this song before!!? 🧡🧡💥
Lisa Cunningham
I dearly love this song. I can listen to this multiple times. It touches something in my soul. But, Dolly is just that kind of person. I love her. My mother had a lot of admiration for her. She's a 1 of a kind. Hope to meet her 1 day.
Dragan Marinkovic
Me yesterday 🤠❤️
The Malachite Lady
I know, right? A co-worker just told me about it since she knows I love Dolly.