Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946 in Sevierville, Tennessee, U.S… Read Full Bio ↴Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946 in Sevierville, Tennessee, U.S.) is an American country singer, songwriter, composer, producer, entrepreneur, author and actress.

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

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Dolly Parton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Rudolf, the red-nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
You would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolf

Play in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas eve
Santa came to say:
"Rudolf with your nose so bright,
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee:

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
You'll go down in history!"

Overall Meaning

Dolly Parton's "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" is a classic holiday song that has been around for decades. The song tells the story of Rudolph, a reindeer with a very shiny and glowing red nose, which stands out amongst the other reindeer. The song highlights how the other reindeers used to laugh and call him names, and they never let him play in any reindeer games. This could be interpreted as a message about accepting and celebrating differences in others, rather than pointing them out and ridiculing them.

However, on one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to them and asked Rudolph to guide his sleigh through the night, using his shining nose as a beacon. Rudolph accepted, and he became a hero in the eyes of the other reindeer, who now loved him and shouted out with glee. This part of the song showcases the importance of embracing one's uniqueness and how it can lead to great accomplishments that would make others appreciate and admire us more.

Overall, Dolly Parton's "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" is a heartwarming Christmas song that teaches us the value of individuality, acceptance, and kindness to others.

Line by Line Meaning

Rudolf, the red-nosed reindeer
Rudolf, a reindeer with a nose that's red, different from the rest.

Had a very shiny nose.
His nose was so bright and shiny, it could catch anyone's attention.

And if you ever saw him,
If you see him, you'd know right away just how different he is.

You would even say it glows.
You wouldn't just see it, you'd be amazed at how much it illuminates.

All of the other reindeer
All the other reindeers, who did not have a shiny red nose just like Rudolf.

Used to laugh and call him names.
They would make fun of Rudolf because of his unique feature.

They never let poor Rudolf
The other reindeers would exclude and leave out Rudolf from games and other activities.

Play in any reindeer games.
Rudolf was not allowed to participate in the various games and activities held by the other reindeers.

Then one foggy Christmas eve
Suddenly, on a Christmas Eve when the fog was thick and the visibility was poor,

Santa came to say:
Santa Claus, driving his sleigh, came to speak to Rudolf.

"Rudolf with your nose so bright,
Santa recognised how Rudolf's nose could help him in his delivery of the Christmas gifts.

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
And so, he asked Rudolf to lead his sleigh that very night.

Then all the reindeer loved him
After Rudolf saved the day for Santa with his shiny, bright red nose,

As they shouted out with glee:
The other reindeers were filled with joy and excitement.

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
They started calling him by name, and calling him Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer.

You'll go down in history!"
They knew right away that he was going to be remembered for years to come, as Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer who saved Christmas and lit the way.

Lyrics © ST. NICHOLAS MUSIC INC., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Johnny Marks

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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@whomeplay

3y↑3

Mama's Heart of Gold!

We were raised in the Smoky Mountains and we were like a carton of eggs there were twelve of us kids!

We were numbered in the have nots and didn't know it, but we were rich because we had each other!

Daddy would hand milk the cows before the sun was up and do it all again before it went down!

We had no electric lights, but Mama would read the Good Book to us by candle light, because Daddy couldn't read!

Mama was like Jesus, not that she could walk on water or calm the sea, but that she loved all the little children, you see!

Daddy never cried, but one day Daddy was crying, I asked what's wrong, he said Mama went to live with Jesus!

You see she didn't have a lot of things, but Mama left what she had, a heart of gold for each of us to share!

So think about Mama's heart of gold, and share it wherever you go! In Memory of Dolly Parton Mama!!