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

Something's Burning
Dolly Parton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You lie in gentle sleep beside me
I hear your warm and rhythmic breathing
I take your hand and hold it tightly
Listen
Can you not hear our young hearts beating
I kiss the sleep from your eyes
Your smile is sweeter than the morning

Here it comes
Can't you feel it Baby
Can't you feel it
Here comes
Feel it
Feel it
Fire
Fire
Something's Burning
Something's Burning
Something's Burning
Something's Burning I think it's love
I believe it's love

And now the sun is burning brightly
We lie in love so close together
I get the feeling deep inside me
My love for you will burn forever
I cup my hands to touch your face
Once again I feel your fire

Here it comes
Can't you feel it Baby
Can't you feel it
Here comes
Feel it
Feel it
Fire
Fire
Something's Burning
Something's Burning
Something's Burning
Something's Burning I think it's love
I believe it's love

I believe it's love
I believe it's love
I believe it's love

I believe it's love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dolly Parton's song Something's Burning speak about the intense emotion of love between two people. The opening lines introduce the person lying next to the singer, in gentle sleep. The singer emphasizes the warmth of the presence beside them, feeling the breathing and holding the hand. The person lying next to the singer keeps smiling, which they perceive as the sweetest thing in the morning. This part of the song creates a romantic atmosphere with a sense of comfort and safety.

The next part of the song expresses the growing feeling of love between the two people. The singer feels the young hearts beating together and kisses the sleep from the partner's eyes. There is an anticipation of something exciting and powerful about to happen. The lyrics build up to the chorus, where the singer cries out, "Here it comes. Can't you feel it, baby? Can't you feel it? Here comes, Fire." The chorus repeatedly mentions, "Something's Burning. Something's Burning." What the lyrics introduce here is the metaphor of love as a fire. There is a sense of intense passion and desire, which both partners share.

In the last part of the song, the lyrics come to a conclusion, indicating the depth of the love that has grown between the partners. They feel as if they are inextricably bound together in love, and both of them hope that this fire burns forever. The last lines of the song, "I believe it's love," reveal the strong conviction of the singer about the authenticity of their love. Overall, the song expresses the raw intensity and magic of a new and blossoming love.

Line by Line Meaning

You lie in gentle sleep beside me
You are sleeping peacefully beside me

I hear your warm and rhythmic breathing
I hear your breathing as you sleep comfortingly

I take your hand and hold it tightly
I hold your hand tightly

Listen
Pay attention to my words

Can you not hear our young hearts beating
Can you not feel the love in our hearts?

I kiss the sleep from your eyes
I kiss you gently to wake you up

Your smile is sweeter than the morning
Your smile is more beautiful than the morning

Here it comes
The feeling is coming

Can't you feel it Baby
Don't you feel it too, my love?

Can't you feel it
Can't you sense it as I do?

Here comes
The feeling is stronger