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
Pure and Simple
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get chills along my spine
It's a feeling I'm not used to
Can't believe you're really mine
Other love's so complicated
Broken hearts and twisting minds
Then you came and I'm elated
It's so pure it's almost sacred
Simply put, it feels divine
I just love you pure and simple
Pure and simple and sublime
Don't it seem we've spent a lifetime
Looking for that perfect love
Like a dream we finally found it
Pure and simple, well good for us
It's so pure it's almost sacred
Simply put, it feels divine
I just love you pure and simple
Pure and simple, sweet and fine
I just love you pure and simple
Can't believe you're really mine
In Dolly Parton's song Pure and Simple, she expresses her disbelief and overwhelming joy at the purity and simplicity of her love for someone. She sings about how thinking of this person gives her chills and how it feels almost sacred and divine. She contrasts her love to other complicated and broken relationships, stating that this love is unlike any other she's experienced, and that it's pure, simple, and sublime.
The lyrics suggest that Dolly Parton has finally found the perfect love that she has been searching for all her life. She describes the feeling of finally finding this love as being like a dream come true. It's significant that she refers to this love as pure and simple multiple times, as it highlights the simplicity of the relationship and how it lacks the complexities of other relationships.
Overall, the song is about celebrating the beauty of a pure, simple, and genuine love that brings immense happiness and joy to the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time I think about you
Whenever I reflect on you
I get chills along my spine
I experience goosebumps throughout my body
It's a feeling I'm not used to
It's an emotion that's unfamiliar to me
Can't believe you're really mine
I find it hard to comprehend that you belong to me
Other love's so complicated
Other forms of love seem intricate
Broken hearts and twisting minds
They come with shattered souls and tangled thoughts
Then you came and I'm elated
But when you arrived, I became overjoyed
So unlike the other times
It was different from previous occasions
It's so pure it's almost sacred
This feeling is so innocent that it's nearly holy
Simply put, it feels divine
It's uncomplicated and feels heavenly
I just love you pure and simple
I adore you in an unadulterated, straightforward way
Pure and simple and sublime
It's pure and exquisite
Don't it seem we've spent a lifetime
Doesn't it feel like we've spent forever
Looking for that perfect love
Searching for that flawless affection
Like a dream we finally found it
We located it as if it was a fantasy
Pure and simple, well good for us
Uncomplicated and excellent for us
Pure and simple, sweet and fine
Pure and sweet, perfect in every way
I just love you pure and simple
I continue to cherish you in a genuine and unambiguous style
Can't believe you're really mine
I can't fathom that you're truly mine
Lyrics Β© OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
volleygolfguy
I got to meet Dolly in December and spend just a couple of minutes with her. She's such a wonderful, beautiful human being.
Gemma Aboagye
Ur lucky
melissa hurd
I so wish I could some day would be a dream
MP TL
I sleep with her songs. I love her even from afar.
yakubu ishaya
Quality never goes out of style. I love this woman and her songs, pure and simple.
Sourabh Suryawanshi
yakubu ishaya
Hunter Moore
Her voice is so soothing and calm
MajorMotionMatt
I am the opposite of a country music fan. Actually, I've always kind of hated it. But man, I don't know what kind of person could dislike Dolly Parton. Can't wait to get the new album.
Gunnar Linde
Nr 1
Thuso Tshikantwa
MajorMotionMatt welcome to country music