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
Not for Me
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Birds sing for everyone but me, for me it rains
And I can't hear the music for the pain
I see such happiness for some, but not for me
With love, I always try so hard to get it right
I find it gone just when I think I might
Out of reach of all the things I want to have and hold
I've come to just accept that's how it goes
I've come so close
Not for me, it's not for me to question, I suppose
But I keep wonderin' what the future holds
Why must it be?
That life's so sweet for some, but not for me
Birds sing for everyone but me, for me it rains
And I can't see the sunshine for the pain
But I see such happiness for some, but not for me
For me it rains, there's only pain
It's not for me
Dolly Parton's song "Not for Me" speaks to the universal feeling of disappointment and disillusionment with life. The song paints a picture of a person who is constantly left behind, unable to find joy and love despite always trying. The motif of birds singing for everyone but the singer highlights the contrast between the singer's experience and that of those around them who seem to have everything.
The singer describes their experience of trying to find love, only to see it slip away just as they believe it might last. This sense of futility is heightened by the chorus's repetition of "not for me," a refrain that underscores the singer's feeling of being left out of life's blessings. Yet, despite this sense of disappointment, the singer ultimately resigns themselves to this reality, saying "it's not for me to question, I suppose," suggesting a sense of acceptance even though they still wonder why their life is so different from others.
Line by Line Meaning
Birds sing for everyone but me, for me it rains
I feel alone and isolated while everyone around me seems to be enjoying life without any struggles
And I can't hear the music for the pain
Even though there's music everywhere around me, I can't enjoy it because my pain overshadows everything
I see such happiness for some, but not for me
I'm aware that some people are happy, but I can't achieve the same sense of joy and fulfillment
With love, I always try so hard to get it right
I put a lot of effort into my relationships and try my best to make them work
I find it gone just when I think I might
Despite my hard work, my relationships always seem to fall apart before I can properly enjoy them
Regretfully I see it last for some, but not for me
I see that some people have successful and lasting relationships, but it always seems to elude me
Out of reach of all the things I want to have and hold
The things I desire and long for always seem to be just out of my reach, no matter how hard I try
I've come to just accept that's how it goes
I've learned to live with the disappointment and frustration of not being able to achieve my goals
I've come so close
Sometimes it feels like I'm right on the edge of finally getting what I want, but then it slips away again
Not for me, it's not for me to question, I suppose
I don't know why some people seem to have everything while I have so little, but I don't feel like I have the right to question it
But I keep wonderin' what the future holds
Even though I try to accept my situation, I can't help but wonder if there's a chance for things to get better in the future
Why must it be?
I can't help but ask why my life has to be so difficult and full of pain while others seem to have it all
That life's so sweet for some, but not for me
I see that for some people, life is full of joy and sweetness, but for me, it's just not the case
Birds sing for everyone but me, for me it rains
Once again, I feel like I'm alone in my struggle and everyone else is enjoying life without any problems
And I can't see the sunshine for the pain
Even though there are good things happening around me, my pain and hardships prevent me from seeing the positive side of life
But I see such happiness for some, but not for me
I can't help but notice that some people seem to be genuinely happy while I struggle to find even a brief moment of joy
For me it rains, there's only pain
My life is consumed with my struggles and hardships, and it feels like there's no escape from the pain
It's not for me
Despite my efforts, success and happiness seem to be out of my reach
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wayne A White
Love love love love this song. There's something even purer about Dolly's voice when she sings Bluegrass music
Tholeka Qwela
I’m crying when I listen to this song cause it speaks to me 💔💔💔
Tobias Dubose
I've been listening to Dolly for years and years. I never could understand why this album never was on Spotify until 2020. It's such an amazing album to listen to, especially if you like bluegrass and mountain music.
Rarirurero Records
Birds sing for everyone but me, for me it rains
And I can't hear the music for the pain
I see such happiness for some, but not for me
With love, I always try so hard to get it right
I find it gone just when I think I might
Regretfully I see it last for some, but not for me
Out of reach of all the things I want to have and hold
I've come to just accept that's how it goes
I've come so close
Not for me, it's not for me to question, I suppose
But I keep wonderin' what the future holds
Why must it be?
That life's so sweet for some, but not for me
Birds sing for everyone but me, for me it rains
And I can't see the sunshine for the pain
But I see such happiness for some, but not for me
For me it rains, there's only pain
It's not for me
Aaron Baker
Love it!
Bartek Belski
Song about my life 💔 seems that happiness is something not for me 😓
Amanda Fields
This is my hearts cry
My souls song
Not for me ❤
Tiffany
I love the rain.
Ruth music
Bid of a sad one!