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
Shattered Image
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I used to sit for hours as a kid
Dangle my feet from an old flat bridge,
Seein' myself in the water below
Shatter my image with the stones I'd throw
I recall a vacant old shack
A child's reflection in a dirty window
Shatter my image with the stones I'd throw
A long time gone and a long time ago
When I shattered my image with the stones I'd throw
The world is cruel and people are cold
They shatter my image with the stones they throw
Shatter my image with the stones they throw
I'm far from perfect, but I ain't all bad;
It hurts me more than it makes me mad
You gather your stones by stoopin' so low
Then shatter my image with the stones you throw
If you live in a glass house, don't throw stones
Don't shatter my image 'til you look at your own
Look at your reflection in your house of glass
Don't open my closet if your own's full of trash
Stay out of my closet if your own's full of trash
A long time gone and a long time ago
When I shattered my image with the stones I'd throw
The world is cruel and people are cold
They shatter my image with the stones they throw
Shatter my image with the stones they throw
A long time gone and a long time ago
When I shattered my image with the stones I'd throw
The world is cruel and people are cold
They shatter my image with the stones they throw
Shatter my image with the stones they throw
Shatter my image with the stones you throw,
Don't shatter my image with the stones you throw
Shatter my image with the stones you throw,
Shatter my image with the stones you throw,
Shatter my image with the stones you throw,
You shatter my image with the stones you throw
Shatter my image with the stones you throw,
You shatter my image with the stones you throw
Shatter my image with the stones you throw,
You shatter my image with the stones you throw
Shatter my image with the stones you throw,
You shatter my image with the stones you throw
Dolly Parton's "Shattered Image" is a powerful commentary on self-image and societal expectations. The song begins with Dolly reminiscing about her childhood, sitting on a bridge and throwing stones at her own reflection in the water, shattering the image that she saw of herself. She goes on to recall a dingy old shack by a tobacco patch, where she saw her reflection in a dirty window and again shattered her own image.
Dolly then sings about the cruelty of the world and the people in it, who throw stones at her own image and break it. Despite acknowledging that she is not perfect, Dolly implores them not to stoop low and gather stones to break her image.
The song's overall message is one of self-acceptance and recognition of the harm that can be caused by harsh judgments and criticism. In the end, Dolly urges others to look at themselves before throwing stones at her image, reminding them that they too have flaws and imperfections.
Overall, "Shattered Image" is a poignant and powerful song that speaks to the struggles of maintaining a positive self-image in the face of societal pressures and negative judgment.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to sit for hours as a kid
As a child, I would spend hours sitting on an old flat bridge and looking at my reflection in the water below.
Dangle my feet from an old flat bridge,
I would sit on the edge of an old, flat bridge and let my feet dangle over the water.
Seein' myself in the water below
Looking down, I could see my own reflection in the water.
Shatter my image with the stones I'd throw
I would throw stones at the water, breaking the reflection of myself that I saw.
I recall a vacant old shack
I remember an old, empty shack that was located near the tobacco patch.
Down by the edge of the tobaccer patch
The vacant shack was located at the boundary of the tobacco patch.
A child's reflection in a dirty window
In the dirty window of the shack, I could see the reflection of a child, which was my own.
Shatter my image with the stones I'd throw
Just like before, I would throw stones at the window, breaking the reflection of myself that I saw.
A long time gone and a long time ago
It's been a long time since those memories from my childhood, but they are still with me.
When I shattered my image with the stones I'd throw
As a child, I used to break my own reflection in the water and in the window of the old shack by throwing stones at it.
The world is cruel and people are cold
The world can be a harsh place, and people are often unkind.
They shatter my image with the stones they throw
Others can also hurt me by throwing stones that break my self-image.
I'm far from perfect, but I ain't all bad;
I know that I'm not perfect, but I'm not a bad person either.
It hurts me more than it makes me mad
When people throw stones at me, it hurts me more than it makes me angry.
You gather your stones by stoopin' so low
People who throw stones at me are behaving badly and lowering themselves to a shameful level.
Then shatter my image with the stones you throw
These people break my self-image by hurling hurtful words or actions in my direction.
If you live in a glass house, don't throw stones
If you have your own flaws, don't judge or criticize others for theirs.
Don't shatter my image 'til you look at your own
Don't judge me or criticize me before examining your own failings and flaws.
Look at your reflection in your house of glass
Take a good look at yourself, your own faults, and your own shortcomings before attacking others.
Don't open my closet if your own's full of trash
Don't go through my private affairs and expose my secrets if you have your own shameful or embarrassing issues to deal with.
Stay out of my closet if your own's full of trash
Keep your nose out of my personal life if you're not prepared to deal with your own personal issues.
You shatter my image with the stones you throw
People who throw stones at me break my self-image and make me feel bad about myself.
Shatter my image with the stones you throw,
People hurt me by attacking me with their words or actions.
Don't shatter my image with the stones you throw
I don't want people to hurt me by attacking me or breaking my self-image with their stones.
Shatter my image with the stones you throw,
I'm willing to take criticism or advice, but only if it's delivered in a constructive and respectful manner.
Shatter my image with the stones you throw,
Hurtful comments and actions from others can chip away at my self-esteem and self-worth.
Shatter my image with the stones you throw,
I hope people will think twice before attacking me, and instead focus on their own issues and do better.
You shatter my image with the stones you throw
People who throw stones at me damage my sense of self-worth and my overall wellbeing.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ruthmusic8122
Love it when you do bluegrass songs,Dolly!This is so good!Words are right on point!
@karraskarras1103
This song was played at Whitney Houston's funeral,, RIP. We love Dolly, thank you for the free books promoting literacy
@ToeShimmel
Why does it have so few views? I love it!
@Blessed-2-b-a-Hembree
Shattered Images
Dolly Parton
“I used to sit for hours as a kid.
Dangle my feet from an old flat bridge.
Seein' myself in the water below.
Shatter my image with the stones I'd throw.
I recall a vacant old shack.
Down by the edge of the tobaccer patch.
A child's reflection in a dirty window.
Shatter my image with the stones I'd throw.
A long time gone and a long time ago.
When I shattered my image with the stones I'd throw.
The world is cruel and people are cold.
They shatter my image with the stones they throw.
Shatter my image with the stones they throw.
I'm far from perfect, but I ain't all bad.
It hurts me more than it makes me mad.
You gather your stones by stoopin' so low.
Then shatter my image with the stones you throw.
If you live in a glass house, don't throw stones.
Don't shatter my image 'til you look at your own.
Look at your reflection in your house of glass.
Don't open my closet if your own's full of trash.
Stay out of my closet if your own's full of trash.
A long time gone and a long time ago.
When I shattered my image with the stones I'd throw.
The world is cruel and people are cold.
They shatter my image with the stones they throw.
Shatter my image with the stones they throw.
A long time gone and a long time ago.
When I shattered my image with the stones I'd throw.
The world is cruel and people are cold.
They shatter my image with the stones they throw.
Shatter my image with the stones they throw.
Shatter my image with the stones you throw.
Don't shatter my image with the stones you throw.
Shatter my image with the stones you throw.
Shatter my image with the stones you throw.
Shatter my image with the stones you throw.
You shatter my image with the stones you throw.
Shatter my image with the stones you throw.
You shatter my image with the stones you throw.
Shatter my image with the stones you throw.
You shatter my image with the stones you throw.
Shatter my image with the stones you throw.
You shatter my image with the stones you throw.”
The End