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
Runaway Feelin'
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a crazy, restless feelin'
I cannot be consoled
Got an itchy urge to up and run
I think I've lost control
You do something to me
Something that I really can't explain
And I never thought I'd feel this much again
I've got that runaway feelin'
Like to grab you up
Just run off, footloose and fancy free
Yeah, that thought's appealing
That runaway feelin's let my feelin's run away with me
I get all swimmy-headed everytime I look at you
Though love has blurred my vision, I still enjoy the view
Like Elvis and his hound dog, in a deep fog
I keep a'runnin' after you
I thought I'd been in love before
But before doesn't matter anymore
I've got that runaway feelin'
Like to grab you up
Just run off, footloose and fancy free
Yeah, that thought's appealing
That runaway feelin's let my feelin's run away with me
Ah, run with it, boys
I've got that runaway feelin'
Like to grab you up
Just run off, footloose and fancy free
Yeah, that thought's appealing
That runaway feelin's let my feelin's run away with me
I've got that runaway feelin' (runaway)
Runaway feelin' (runaway)
Won't you run away with me
The lyrics to Dolly Parton's song Runaway Feelin’ are a manifestation of the restless feelings of a woman who is head over heels in love. The song highlights how the feeling of being in love can be so exhilarating that it can make one forget their inhibitions and take flight. In the opening verse of the song, she talks about a powerful and crazy feeling that seems to take control of her, making her unable to be consoled. She goes further to explain that this urge is so strong that she feels like running away from everything to be free.
She reveals in the chorus that this "runaway feeling" is so powerful that she just wants to grab her love interest and run off together. She compares herself to Elvis running after his hound dog through a thick fog, unable to see beyond her emotions. Parton explains that this feeling of intense love is new to her, and she has not felt this passionately since she was a kid. She validates the power of the emotion, saying that love that felt significant before doesn’t matter now. It is evident that the love interest has completely swept her off her feet.
The chorus repeats that the "runaway feeling" she has towards her love interest is too much for her to handle, and the thought of running away footloose and fancy-free with them is so appealing. The longing she has towards her lover is intense, and she asks them to run away with her. The tempo is upbeat, and it's evident that Parton is enjoying these feelings even though they're overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
Got a crazy, restless feelin'
I am feeling wild and agitated.
I cannot be consoled
I cannot find comfort.
Got an itchy urge to up and run
I have a strong desire to leave and run away.
I think I've lost control
I believe that I have lost control over my feelings.
You do something to me
Your actions have a strong effect on me.
Something that I really can't explain
My feelings are hard to verbalize.
I ain't felt like this since I'ze a kid
I haven't felt this way since I was a child.
And I never thought I'd feel this much again
I didn't expect to feel this strongly again.
I've got that runaway feelin'
I have a strong desire to run away.
Like to grab you up
I want to take you with me.
Just run off, footloose and fancy free
I want to leave without any commitments or restrictions.
That thought's appealing
That idea is attractive to me.
That runaway feelin's let my feelin's run away with me
My emotions are overpowering my reasoning and judgment.
I get all swimmy-headed everytime I look at you
You make me feel dizzy and confused.
Though love has blurred my vision, I still enjoy the view
Despite being blinded by love, I still appreciate the experience.
Like Elvis and his hound dog, in a deep fog
I am like Elvis Presley and his dog lost in the fog, without direction or clarity.
I keep a'runnin' after you
I keep pursuing you.
I thought I'd been in love before
I believed I had experienced love in the past.
But before doesn't matter anymore
My previous experiences of love are now irrelevant.
Ah, run with it, boys
Let's embrace this feeling and go with it enthusiastically.
Won't you run away with me
I would like for you to join me on this adventure.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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