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
Release Me
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I don't love you anymore
And to live without love is a sin
So release me and let me love again
I have found a new love, dear
And I'll always want him near
His lips are warm while yours are cold
Oh please release me, let me go
'Cause I just won't love you anymore
And to live together we both know is a sin
So release me, release me and let me love again
Oh, please, please, please, please
Release me, let me go
'Cause I, I don't love you anymore
And to live together is a sin
So release me and let me love again
Oh, please release me, let me go
I don't love you anymore
And to live together is a sin
So release me and let me love again
In Dolly Parton's song "Release Me," the singer is pleading with her lover to let her go, as she no longer loves him and has found a new love. She explains that living without love is a sin and asks to be released so she can love again. The song is a classic breakup ballad, with themes of lost love, moving on, and the emotional pain of letting go.
The singer is firm in her decision to leave, explaining that her new love is everything she needs and wants. She compares his warm lips to her ex-lover's cold ones, emphasizing the contrast between the new and old relationships. She repeats the plea for release, emphasizing that living together is a sin, suggesting that maybe the relationship was one of unease, habitual, or even holding her back. The desire to move on from unfulfilling relationships and find true love is a common theme in many country songs, and "Release Me" is no exception.
Overall, "Release Me" by Dolly Parton is a powerful song about self-empowerment and embracing change. It encourages listeners to let go of past loves that no longer serve them and to have the courage to seek out new love and fulfillment in life. It's a timeless classic that still resonates with audiences today, decades after its original release.
Line by Line Meaning
Please release me, let me go
I want to end this relationship and move on.
'Cause I don't love you anymore
My feelings for you have changed and I no longer have love for you.
And to live without love is a sin
Staying in a loveless relationship is wrong and goes against my beliefs.
So release me and let me love again
I want to be free to find love again.
I have found a new love, dear
I have moved on and found someone new to love.
And I'll always want him near
I am deeply in love with this new person and want to be close to them.
His lips are warm while yours are cold
This new person fills me with warmth and love, while you do not.
So release me, my darlin' let me go
I am asking you to release me from this relationship and let me go to be with someone who truly loves me.
Oh please release me, let me go
I am pleading with you to let me move on with my life.
'Cause I just won't love you anymore
My feelings for you have changed and I cannot force myself to love you.
And to live together we both know is a sin
Staying together when love is gone is wrong for both of us.
So release me, release me and let me love again
I am begging you to let me go so that I can find love again.
Oh, please, please, please, please
I am desperately begging for your understanding and cooperation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DOMINIC MILLER, GORDON SUMNER
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.