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
Real Love
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before love has a chance to begin
And it's never simple
Faithless hearts can cripple
And only a strong love survives
I know they say that it's such a fine line
Between giving up and giving in
Ah, but once your heart's been in it
It's like nothing that you've felt in your life
We got real love
Not infatuation
Real love
Our hearts' celebration
I love you
You know I love you too
Real love
Not an imitation
Real love
You're my destination
Baby, you and me
We got everything we need
You are such a part of my life
That I can't remember me without you
And we've had our nights
We've had our share of fights
But we never thought of giving it up
Whoa, you and I we must be dreamers
'Cause we're making all our dreams come true
I could spend my life
Just holding you so tight
And never, ever get enough
We got real love
Not infatuation
Real love
Our hearts' celebration
I love you
You know I love you too
We got real love
Not an imitation
Real love
You're my destination
Baby, you and me
We got everything we need
We got real love
We got real love
Not infatuation
Real love
Our hearts' celebration
I love you
You know I love you too
Real love
Not an imitation
Real love
You're my destination
Baby, you and me
We got everything we need
We got real love
Not infatuation
Real love
Our hearts' celebration
I love you
You know I love you too
We got real love
Not an imitation
Real love
In Dolly Parton's song "Real Love," she speaks about love as being an act of trust that can be challenging to establish, but it is worth it. She mentions that love is not simple, and those with faithless hearts can cripple it. Love is not infatuation, and only a strong bond can endure. Parton believes that real love is not imitation and that it is like nothing else one can experience. She suggests that once someone experiences real love, there is no way to forget its impact.
The chorus of the song is emotionally charged, and it emphasises the importance of real love. Parton sings about how real love is more than just an imitation, it is a cause for a celebration in the heart. She reminds that her love is not infatuation, and it's powerful enough to bring the two together, making them one destination. Dolly expresses the lengths to which she and her significant other have gone through together, and although their journey has not been easy, it has been worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
They say that it's a matter of trusting
According to common belief, love requires trust to begin
Before love has a chance to begin
Trust is an essential prerequisite for love to start
And it's never simple
Love is not an easy process
Faithless hearts can cripple
Lack of faith can damage hearts and relationships
And only a strong love survives
Enduring love can only exist with strength
I know they say that it's a fine line
There's a thin line between giving up and making it work
Between giving up and giving in
It is easy to give up, but it takes effort to accept and overcome challenges
But once your heart's been in it
Once you fall in love, it's hard to forget it
You just can't forget it
When you fall in love, it stays with you forever
It's like nothing that you've felt in your life
The feeling of real love is incomparable to any other experience
[Chorus:]
The chorus emphasizes the depth and authenticity of the love between them
We got real love
They have true love, not just infatuation or a short-term attraction
Not infatuation
Their love is not just a fleeting crush
Real love
Their love is genuine and comes from the heart
Our hearts' celebration
Their love is something to truly celebrate
I love you
The singer expresses her love towards her partner
Not an imitation
Their love is not fake or a copy of something else
You're my destination
Her partner is her ultimate goal in life
Baby, you and me
The phrase conveys the closeness of their relationship
We got everything we need
Their love provides them with all that they require in life
You are such a part of my life
Her partner is an integral part of her life
That I can't remember me without you
She cannot imagine her life without her partner
And we've had our nights
They had challenging times in their relationship
We've had our share of fights
They had arguments and disagreements but worked through them
But we've never thought of giving it up
Despite their struggles, they keep fighting for their relationship
Oh, you and I we must be dreamers
They have ambitious dreams and aspirations they want to achieve together
'Cause we're making our dreams come true
Their love has empowered them to pursue their dreams and turn them into reality
I could spend my life
She cherishes the time they spend together
Just holding you so tight
She expresses how much she loves physically holding her partner
And never, ever get enough
She can never get tired of being close to her partner
[Chorus]
The chorus is repeated again to emphasize their love for each other
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Malloy, Randy Mc Cormick, Richard Brannan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Catlu-fm1os
It is so horrible that we have to age. This was absolutely a perfect, magical time for these two stars. They were fabulous together, and both are true show people. I got to see Kenny in concert once, and he was wonderful.
@crissy2512
Kenny Rogers one of the most beautiful male voices of all time may he Rest in Heaven and Peace... Dolly Parton Queen of Country - great voices and great Duet
@gambler2550
This entire concert really needs to be re-released on Blu-Ray or at least DVD, and it really needs to be released to the streaming services. It was on VHS and LaserDisc back in the 80s. Yet it has never had an official release in the modern era. It never gets shown on TV anymore. When we lost Kenny, a music channel aired it. Somebody put it on YouTube, and of course, it was taken down. There is not a single place to see this concert in good quality anywhere. And that is completely insane. This goes for a number of other Kenny Rogers concerts, television shows, and his official music videos. Where are they? Time to get this fixed.
@elibrow1133
People are kicking out older music on tv or newer more modern music the same as the radio
@martinlourenz2532
There is sooooo much live music that’s getting lost because of this. There should be some kind of archive of these tapes for musical history and they should also be digitalised. I miss the days when all these wonderful concerts actually aired on tv. Wish I still had all my vhs and dvd’s..
@jwilliams7698
Kenny and dolly are absolutely a beautiful pair and they have the most beautiful duets in the world.
@larryaccardo3134
My God the chemistry between these 2. If we could all be so lucky to have a friendship like this in our lives.
@laurahutzel1707
Once in a lifetime! It was one of the most sincerest loves on Earth.
@bobbygaspard9107
very true
@senanusamuel8635
Lol