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
Sweet Agony
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That kind of need that keeps a person sleepless
All that dreaming just the same
And I read about it
I've just decide if someone leaves you breathless
But I never felt that way now I feel It
I'm not so sure I like it
And it's agony, sweet agony
I ain't for you, I beg for you to set me free
From this agony, sweet agony
Oh, what if I take control so easily
Sweet agony, sweet agony, sweet agony
If you had it planned out to give yourself halfway
And leave me wanting more right here on the brink
Well, your time just ran out I've got to hide it all
What are you waiting for
I'm too afraid to think what this thing is
I'm not so sure I like it that expenses just killing me
And it's agony, sweet agony
I ain't for you, I beg for you to set me free
From this agony, sweet agony
Oh, what if I take control so easily
Sweet agony, sweet agony, sweet agony
I want the real thing tired of daydreams
And don't you tease me anymore
You've got the real thing to keep me waiting
I never felt like this before
And it's agony, sweet agony
I ain't for you, I beg for you to set me free
From this agony, sweet agony
Oh, what if I take control so easily
Sweet agony, sweet agony
I ain't for you, I beg for you to set me free
From this agony, sweet agony
Oh, what if I take control so easily
Oh, it's agony, sweet agony
I ain't for you
The song "Sweet Agony" by Dolly Parton is a tale of a person who is experiencing an intense and overpowering feeling of need for someone. The lyrics describe this feeling as a kind of need that keeps a person sleepless, and that consumes them entirely. The persona confesses to never having felt this way before and is unsure if they like it or not. The song is about the agony of wanting someone so badly, yet not being sure if it's reciprocated.
The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and uncertainty as the persona wonders if the person they are longing for is planning on leaving them halfway or if they will get the real thing. The persona is afraid to think of what this feeling is, and it's causing them agony, hence the title "Sweet Agony." Despite the agony they're feeling, the persona cannot help but beg to be set free from the feeling. However, they're unsure if they'll be able to take control of the situation that has so easily consumed them.
In conclusion, "Sweet Agony" is a powerful song that explores the agony of unrequited love. The lyrics are compelling, and Dolly's voice delivers the emotional depth required to bring the song to life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I heard about it
I've been told about a type of longing that makes it hard for someone to sleep, a yearning that just won't go away.
That kind of need that keeps a person sleepless
A strong desire that prevents someone from getting any rest.
All that dreaming just the same
Despite all the fantasies and hope, nothing ever changes.
And I read about it
I've also come across stories or accounts of people experiencing this intense craving.
I've just decide if someone leaves you breathless
I think I've figured out that if someone makes you feel weak and speechless with their mere presence...
But I never felt that way now I feel It
...and I'm now feeling that sensation myself for the first time.
I'm not so sure I like it
I'm not entirely comfortable with this feeling...
But I feel it consume it be
...it's taking over me and I can't help it.
And it's agony, sweet agony
This feeling is both excruciating and pleasurable at the same time.
I ain't for you, I beg for you to set me free
Although I'm experiencing this feeling, I don't belong to you and I'm begging for you to let me go.
From this agony, sweet agony
I need to be freed from this torment, even though it's bittersweet.
Oh, what if I take control so easily
I wonder what would happen if I could easily take charge of my emotions and feel less vulnerable.
If you had it planned out to give yourself halfway
If you were intending to hold back and not give me your all...
And leave me wanting more right here on the brink
...and leave me hanging, craving more, and unsure of where we stand.
Well, your time just ran out I've got to hide it all
You've run out of time to play games with me, and I need to conceal my feelings and move on.
What are you waiting for
Why are you prolonging this situation?
I'm too afraid to think what this thing is
I'm too scared to identify this feeling and give it a name.
I'm not so sure I like it that expenses just killing me
This experience is costing me a lot emotionally, and I'm not sure it's worth it.
I want the real thing tired of daydreams
I'm done with mere fantasies and wishful thinking, I want to experience the real deal.
And don't you tease me anymore
I can't handle being strung along or played with anymore.
You've got the real thing to keep me waiting
You have what I truly desire, but you're making me wait and suffer.
I never felt like this before
This emotion is new and overwhelming to me.
I ain't for you, I beg for you to set me free
Again, I'm not yours, and I plead with you to let me go.
Oh, it's agony, sweet agony
Once more, this feeling is both painful and pleasurable simultaneously.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID WOLFERT, SUSAN SHERIDAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Romy K.
on Gypsy Joe And Me
As a matter of fact she's contemplating suicide standing on the bridge, that's how they'll be together again.