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
Rockin' Years
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To make you proud to be my man
And I'll fulfill all you fantasies
I guess we're promising a lot
But for now it's all we've got
And I'll stand by you through our rockin' years
Rockin' chairs, rockin' babies, rock-a-bye, rock of ages Side by side we'll be together always
And if you'll hold me tight when you love me
That's all I'll ask of you
And I'll stand by you through our rockin' years
I'll be your friend, I'll be your lover
Until the end, there'll be no other
And my heart has only room for one
Yes, I'll always love you
And I'll always be here for you
And I'll stand by you through our rockin' years
Rockin' chairs, rockin' babies, rock-a-bye, rock of ages
Side by side we'll be together always
And if you'll hold me tight when you love me
That's all I'll ask of you
And I'll stand by you through our rockin' years
Rockin' chairs, rockin' babies, rock-a-bye, rock of ages
Side by side, we'll be together always
And, yes, I'll always love you and I'll always be here for you
And I'll stand by you through our rockin' years, yes, I'll be here
And I'll stand by you through our rockin' years
Through our rockin' years
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's "Rockin' Years" express the promise of loyalty and support in a long-term relationship. The lines "I'll do everything I can to make you proud to be my man" and "I'll fulfill all your fantasies" indicate the desire to become each other's everything. The lyrics also acknowledge that the promises being made may seem like a lot, but they are all the couple has at the moment. The promise to stand by each other through the "rockin' years" suggests a commitment to weather any storm that may come their way.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "rockin' chairs, rockin' babies, rock-a-bye, rock of ages," creating a sense of the passage of time and the various stages of life. This phrase captures the different phases of a relationship and the idea that the couple will be there for each other through all of it. The line "side by side we'll be together always" emphasizes the importance of being together through all of life's ups and downs.
The song ends with a repetition of the promise to "stand by you through our rockin' years." This line emphasizes that the relationship will last through all the different stages of life, and that the couple will continue to support and love each other no matter what happens.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll do everything I can
I promise to put in my best effort to make our relationship work
To make you proud to be my man
I will strive to do things that make you proud to be with me
And I'll fulfill all your fantasies
I am willing to fulfill any desires or dreams you may have
I guess we're promising a lot
We are making big promises to each other
But for now it's all we've got
At this point, our promises are all we have to hold onto
And I'll stand by you through our rockin' years
I will be there for you and support you through every stage of our life together
Rockin' chairs, rockin' babies, rock-a-bye, rock of ages
We will experience the joys and challenges of life, from raising children to growing old, and face them together
Side by side we'll be together always
We will be each other's companions and partners for life
And if you'll hold me tight when you love me
If you show me your love and affection, all I need in return is for you to hold me tightly
That's all I'll ask of you
My needs are simple, and love and physical affection are enough to make me feel loved and secure
I'll be your friend, I'll be your lover
I will be all that you need, both emotionally and physically
Until the end, there'll be no other
I am committed to being with you until the end of our lives, and no one else will take your place
And my heart has only room for one
My heart belongs to you and no one else
Yes, I'll always love you
My love for you is unconditional and eternal
And I'll always be here for you
I will be there for you whenever you need me, no matter what
Through our rockin' years
We will weather the ups and downs of life together, and our love will only grow stronger over time
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FLOYD ESTEL PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NanaAma-mp9qq
Who’s still listening in 2024 …I love love love this beautiful song
@BjornMaxson-ju5rv
Hello nana, how're you doing..
@joycewalker4850
Love the song
@thewren01
And I be here in 2025 too
@SamasuleDeborah
Here😊 the melody so fresh it never run old
@rhulanicharmainmzimba6133
Me 2
@randyhawthorne7730
Ricky van Shelton was so underrated . Awesome voice, pure country
@annamaehornback3548
Dielelepw
@Outdoorlass
Amen, you hit the nail on the head!
@melissameeks37
Agreed