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
Stairway to Heaven
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And she's buying the stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying the stairway to heaven
There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings
Oh, it makes me wonder
Oh, it makes me wonder
There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking
Oh, it makes me wonder
Oh, it makes me wonder
And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on
And it makes me wonder
Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
And she's buying the stairway to heaven
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's Stairway to Heaven seem to be inspired by Led Zeppelin's iconic rock song of the same name. The song tells the story of a lady who is on a mission to buy a stairway to heaven. She is convinced that everything that glitters is gold and is determined to reach her destination. The lady in the song is using her wealth to buy her way to heaven, symbolizing the power money can sometimes have over our spiritual journey.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of duality or double-meanings of words. The lady in the song is aware that sometimes words can have two meanings, and she wants to be sure before she proceeds with her venture. This could represent the different meanings or interpretations of religion and spirituality.
The song also mentions the idea of different paths one can take in life, and the importance of being able to change the course of our journey if needed. It talks about the piper leading us to reason, and if we listen closely, we can hear our own tune that will lead us to enlightenment.
Overall, Stairway to Heaven (Dolly Parton version) is a thought-provoking song that delves into the human desire to find a higher purpose and the challenges we face along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
There is a woman who believes that everything that shines is valuable
And she's buying the stairway to heaven
She is investing in something that she thinks will take her to heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
She is confident that she will get what she wants even if the stores are closed
With a word she can get what she came for
She has a lot of power and can get what she wants very easily
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying the stairway to heaven
She is really investing a lot to get to heaven
There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
There is a sign that can guide her, but she wants to be certain
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
She is cautious because sometimes things can mean more than one thing
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings
There is a carefree bird that sings in nature
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven
Sometimes our thoughts and ideas can be wrong
Oh, it makes me wonder
This makes me curious and I want to know more
There's a feeling I get when I look to the west
There is a strong sensation she feels when she looks towards the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
Her inner self wants to leave and move on
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
In her imagination, she has seen smoke rings rising up through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking
She can hear the voices of people who are observing from afar
And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
There is a rumor that if they all work together, they can make a big difference
Then the piper will lead us to reason
If they follow the leader, they will reach a logical conclusion
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
Those who have been waiting patiently will finally see the light
And the forests will echo with laughter
The natural surroundings will celebrate along with them
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
If there is a commotion in your life, there is no need to panic
It's just a spring clean for the May queen
It is a time of renewal for the queen of spring
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There are two ways to go, but one way is better in the end
There's still time to change the road you're on
It's never too late to change direction
And it makes me wonder
This is causing me to ponder and speculate
Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know
You can't get rid of the thoughts in your head
The piper's calling you to join him
Someone is calling you to follow them
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Madam, are you aware of what is happening around you?
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind
Your path to heaven is where the silent breeze blows
And as we wind on down the road
As we progress down our journey
Our shadows taller than our soul
Our negative traits overshadow our good ones
There walks a lady we all know
There is a woman that everyone knows
Who shines white light and wants to show
She is radiating positive energy and wants to share it
How everything still turns to gold
How everything can still turn out good
And if you listen very hard
If you pay close attention
The tune will come to you at last
You will eventually understand the melody
When all are one and one is all
When everyone is united and equal
To be a rock and not to roll
To be strong and steadfast, not to be swayed by others
And she's buying the stairway to heaven
She is still investing in her journey towards heaven
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daisy Drifter
Man! This woman studies the songs she sings to perfection before she sings them like a nuclear physicist studies the atom. She doesn't just sing a song. She knows the depth of the meaning of each and every word she's singing. She wasn't just singing those lyrics, she made those lyrics come alive! Although I've listened to the original 1000 times, Dolly's version is the first time I actually understood what the lyrics truly meant. She plays that voice of hers like an instrument, and whatever it is that she does with that voice of hers... it's pure genius!
Danny W New
She masterfully countryfied it.
Jenni linn Beautiful Strange
Same.💜
lray1234
She is a master composer herself, makes sense that she has studied it well.
Buck Rogers
Dolly killed it. What a great performance. I think she misses the songs meaning though. I always took it to mean the lady mistakenly shines white lite and wants to show the way to heaven can be purchased with good deeds only. (as does dolly). When the true way to heaven is through meditation with god & listening very hard for gods will to come to us at last!
Cryogenius333
I genuinely dont like this version. I wont deny Dollys talent but this cover just irritates me. I dont know if its how weak her voice is or the folk vibe(doubt its the folk vibe).
Another recent and absolutely badass cover is from First to Eleven/Halocene/Violet Orlandi/Laura Babic. Recommend you give it a listen.
Paul-Singh Gurth
Not only did she kill on this, but she truly made it her own. A rarity in covers. Deeply moved and impressed.
Baubles and Dolls
She destroyed it!!!!!
Alson Cole
This is probably the boldest cover ever. Granted, it’s startling, but I don’t know what those who gave it a thumbs down were listening to because this is remarkable. Dolly is remarkable. The band is remarkable. And at this point we just all need to resolve that she’s free to sing whatever she takes a notion to. Somehow she took an iconic song, put her stamp on it, and both turned it on its ear and was totally respectful of it at the same time. Who else could pull that off? Nobody. She’s what all artists—female and male alike—strive to be but never will be.
WonkaWilly
Her voice is like a ferry spirit screaming a love song in a foggy swamp. I love it