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
Prime of Our Love
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have rocked you to sleep like a baby
Stood beneath you and lifted you up
I have given you comfort and safety
Now you've gone in the prime of our love
I have cradled your head on my pillow
I have bowed to your needs like a willow
Now you've gone in the prime of our love
Oh, the days are slow in their passing
And the nights are so dreadfully dull
And the question my heart keeps on asking
Why'd you leave in the prime of our love?
I have cradled your head on my pillow
Quenched your thirst from my sweet loving cup
I have bowed to your needs like a willow
Now you've gone in the prime of our love
In the prime of our love you've forsaken
Our bright hopes and just left them to fade
And the heart that was yours for the breaking
Lies in pieces to wither away
I have cradled your head on my pillow
Quenched your thirst from my sweet loving cup
I have bowed to your needs like a willow
Now you've gone in the prime of our love
In the prime of our love you've forsaken
Our bright hopes and just left them to fade
And the heart that was yours for the breaking
Lies in pieces to wither away
Lies in pieces as cold as the clay
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's song "Prime of Our Love" tell the story of a deep and loving relationship that has abruptly ended. The singer, who has given their partner comfort, safety, and unwavering support, is left heartbroken and questioning why their partner has chosen to leave at the height of their love. The opening lines convey the nurturing and protective nature of the singer as they describe rocking their partner to sleep and lifting them up when needed. The imagery of cradling their partner's head on a pillow and quenching their thirst symbolize the care and affection the singer has provided. The line "I have bowed to your needs like a willow" suggests the singer's willingness to bend and adapt to their partner's desires.
As the song progresses, the singer expresses how dull and slow time feels now that their partner is gone. They wonder why their partner chose to leave when their love was at its strongest. The repetition of the lines "Now you've gone in the prime of our love" emphasizes the shock and disbelief felt by the singer.
The final verses reflect the devastating aftermath of the breakup. The singer describes their bright hopes being forsaken and left to fade, while their heart lies in shattered pieces, withering away. The reference to the heart "lying in pieces as cold as the clay" paints a vivid image of the pain and desolation they are experiencing.
Overall, "Prime of Our Love" portrays a love that was once vibrant and fulfilling but is now shattered, leaving the singer longing for answers and mourning the loss.
Line by Line Meaning
I have rocked you to sleep like a baby
I have provided comfort and security for you, like a caregiver soothing a child to sleep
Stood beneath you and lifted you up
I have supported you and helped you rise above challenges
I have given you comfort and safety
I have provided a sense of solace and protection in our relationship
Now you've gone in the prime of our love
Now you have left during the most vibrant and important phase of our love
I have cradled your head on my pillow
I have held you tenderly and provided emotional support when you needed it
Quenched your thirst from my sweet loving cup
I have fulfilled your emotional needs and desires with my affection
I have bowed to your needs like a willow
I have been flexible and accommodating, bending like a willow tree to meet your needs
Oh, the days are slow in their passing
The passage of time feels sluggish and unexciting without you
And the nights are so dreadfully dull
The nights feel monotonous and lacking joy without your presence
And the question my heart keeps on asking
My heart continuously wonders and searches for the answer
Why'd you leave in the prime of our love?
Why did you choose to depart during the most significant and promising period of our love?
In the prime of our love you've forsaken
You have abandoned our relationship at its strongest and most flourishing point
Our bright hopes and just left them to fade
Our optimistic dreams and aspirations have been abandoned and allowed to diminish
And the heart that was yours for the breaking
The heart that belonged to you, vulnerable and open to being hurt
Lies in pieces to wither away
Now it lies shattered and decaying, unable to revive
Lies in pieces as cold as the clay
It is broken and lifeless, as cold and unfeeling as the earth
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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.