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
My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To a room in New Orleans
So far from my Blue Ridge Mountain home
The men I meet ain't warm and friendly
Like the one in old Virginie
Oh they ain't real like my Blue Ridge Mountain boy
I was just a little past eighteen
When I came to New Orleans I'd never been beyond my home state line
There was a boy who loved me dearly
But I broke his heart severely
When I left my Blue Ridge Mountain boy
Life was dull in my hometown
Lights were out when the sun went down
And I thought that city life was more my style
But nights get lonely away from home
And it's easy to go wrong
The men ain't kind like my Blue Ridge Mountain boy
New Orleans held things in store
Things I'd never bargained for
And every night a different man knocks on my door
But late at night when all is still
I can hear a whippoorwill
As I cry for my Blue Ridge Mountain boy
Oh, but I can never go back home
Since the boy I love is gone
He grew tired waiting for me to return
They say he married last October
But I never will get over
Oh the sweet love of my Blue Ridge Mountain boy
Blue Ridge Mountain boy
is a touching song by Dolly Parton that tells a story of a young woman who leaves her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains to go to New Orleans. She thought that city life would suit her better, but soon found out that the men in the city are not as warm and friendly as her Blue Ridge Mountain boy. She had left her lover behind and regretted it, as she heard a whippoorwill at night and cried for her Blue Ridge Mountain boy.
The lyrics paint a picture of a young woman who is lured by the big city and its promises, only to find out that the values that she grew up with were more valuable than she realized. The song has a sentimental and nostalgic tone, as the woman longs for her home and her former lover. The song portrays the idea that sometimes we don't realize what we have until we lose it, and that home and true love are more valuable than anything else.
Line by Line Meaning
From a shack by a mountain stream
I used to live in a humble dwelling by a stream near the mountains, which was my home.
To a room in New Orleans
Now I live in a room in New Orleans, which is very different from where I used to live.
So far from my Blue Ridge Mountain home
I feel very distant from my original home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which is where I truly belonged.
The men I meet ain't warm and friendly
The men I meet in New Orleans are not as friendly as the one I knew in Virginia, who was very kind and genuine.
Like the one in old Virginie
The one I knew in Virginia was special and unforgettable.
Oh they ain't real like my Blue Ridge Mountain boy
The men I meet in New Orleans are not genuine and sincere like my Blue Ridge Mountain boy was.
I was just a little past eighteen
I was very young, just slightly over 18 years old.
When I came to New Orleans
That was when I arrived in New Orleans for the first time.
I'd never been beyond my home state line
Before then, I had never ventured beyond the boundaries of my home state.
There was a boy who loved me dearly
I had a boy who loved me very much and was devoted to me.
But I broke his heart severely
Unfortunately, I hurt him deeply and inflicted significant emotional damage.
When I left my Blue Ridge Mountain boy
It was when I separated from my Blue Ridge Mountain boy, who I loved and cared deeply for.
Life was dull in my hometown
My hometown was unexciting and monotonous, lacking diversity of entertainment
Lights were out when the sun went down
Once the sun set, there was very little lighting in the area, making it even more tedious.
And I thought that city life was more my style
I assumed I would enjoy the excitement of urban living rather than staying in a slow-paced, rural environment.
But nights get lonely away from home
Despite the adrenaline of city life, loneliness often sets in when far from home.
And it's easy to go wrong
It's easy to make wrong decisions and lose perspective when alone in a new environment without a support system.
The men ain't kind like my Blue Ridge Mountain boy
The men I meet in the city are not as compassionate and considerate like my Blue Ridge Mountain boy was.
New Orleans held things in store
New Orleans had many hidden opportunities and things to offer, which I never expected.
Things I'd never bargained for
It was surprising to encounter these things, which I had never anticipated or planned for.
And every night a different man knocks on my door
I constantly have strangers stopping by, seeking my company, and it's difficult to discern their intentions.
But late at night when all is still
During the quiet hours of the night, when it's calm and silent, I often think of my past life and loved ones.
I can hear a whippoorwill
I can listen to the mournful cries of the whippoorwill, a bird that reminds me of home.
As I cry for my Blue Ridge Mountain boy
I cry and yearn for my lost love, who I miss terribly.
Oh, but I can never go back home
Unfortunately, I will never be able to return to my hometown or past life.
Since the boy I love is gone
The boy I loved has moved on, and it is not possible for us to reunite.
He grew tired waiting for me to return
The Blue Ridge Mountain boy lost patience and hope, anticipating my return to no avail.
They say he married last October
According to hearsay, my former lover married in October, further solidifying his love life moving on.
But I never will get over
No matter the situation, I will never get over the deep love that I had for my Blue Ridge Mountain boy.
Oh the sweet love of my Blue Ridge Mountain boy
The love I had for my Blue Ridge Mountain boy was pure and beautiful, and nothing can diminish its value.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
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.