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
The Blue Train
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Riding this run down track
And the lost places
From a dream that never brings them back
And the sad truth is
Nothing but a cold hard fact.
Chorus:
Over the miles yet to cover
A ghost in a hurry to fade
I'm taking it one way to nowhere
Afraid you might be there
To find me inside this blue train.
Counting the burned bridges
Trailing this rusted wreck
As our back pages
Scatter in the dust we left
Like a pearl necklace
Falling from around my neck.
Chorus:
I'm riding the blue train
Over the miles yet to cover
A ghost in a hurry to fade
I'm taking it one way to nowhere
Afraid you might be there
To find me inside this blue train.
Away down the low road
A ticket to an empty room
A rendezvous unknown.
Chorus:
I'm riding the blue train
Over the miles yet to cover
A ghost in a hurry to fade
I'm taking it one way to nowhere
Afraid you might be there
To find me inside this blue train...
"The Blue Train" by Dolly Parton is a poignant and introspective song that explores themes of loss, nostalgia, and the desire to escape from a painful past. The lyrics paint a picture of a weary traveler, watching the world go by from the window of the blue train. The "long faces" and "lost places" represent the people and memories left behind, remnants of a dream that can never be recaptured. The sad truth is that these things are nothing more than cold, hard facts, a harsh reality that cannot be changed.
The chorus reveals the singer's inner turmoil and yearning for a fresh start. They are "riding the blue train" with a sense of urgency, a ghost desperate to fade into oblivion. The journey is one-way, heading towards nowhere in particular, but driven by the fear of encountering someone from their past. The blue train becomes a metaphor for their escape, their refuge from the pain and heartbreak that they carry within.
The second verse further emphasizes the sense of loss and detachment. The "burned bridges" symbolize broken relationships and missed opportunities. The rusted wreck and scattered back pages represent the remnants of past experiences, now left behind in the dust. Like a pearl necklace slipping off, the singer is shedding the weight of their past and seeking a sense of freedom.
The final lines of the song, "Away down the low road, a ticket to an empty room, a rendezvous unknown," further emphasize the singer's desire to leave everything behind and embark on an uncertain future. There is a sense of loneliness and a longing for something new and unknown.
Overall, "The Blue Train" captures the essence of a person yearning to leave behind a painful past and start afresh, even if it means venturing into the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
Watching the long faces
Observing the sorrowful expressions
Riding this run down track
Traveling on a worn-out path
And the lost places
And the forgotten destinations
From a dream that never brings them back
From an unfulfilled aspiration that never returns
And the sad truth is
And the unfortunate reality is
Nothing but a cold hard fact
Only an unforgiving truth
Chorus: I'm riding the blue train
Chorus: I am traveling on the blue train
Over the miles yet to cover
Across the remaining miles to be traversed
A ghost in a hurry to fade
A fading presence in a rush
I'm taking it one way to nowhere
I'm going in a direction with no destination
Afraid you might be there
Fearful that you may be present
To find me inside this blue train
To discover me aboard this blue train
Counting the burned bridges
Enumerating the destroyed connections
Trailing this rusted wreck
Following this corroded disaster
As our back pages
As our history and memories
Scatter in the dust we left
Dispersing in the remnants we abandoned
Like a pearl necklace
Similar to a string of precious pearls
Falling from around my neck
Dropping from my neck
Chorus: I'm riding the blue train
Chorus: I am traveling on the blue train
Over the miles yet to cover
Across the remaining miles to be traversed
A ghost in a hurry to fade
A fading presence in a rush
I'm taking it one way to nowhere
I'm going in a direction with no destination
Afraid you might be there
Fearful that you may be present
To find me inside this blue train
To discover me aboard this blue train
Away down the low road
Heading towards the modest path
A ticket to an empty room
A pass to an unoccupied space
A rendezvous unknown
A meeting with uncertain outcomes
Chorus: I'm riding the blue train
Chorus: I am traveling on the blue train
Over the miles yet to cover
Across the remaining miles to be traversed
A ghost in a hurry to fade
A fading presence in a rush
I'm taking it one way to nowhere
I'm going in a direction with no destination
Afraid you might be there
Fearful that you may be present
To find me inside this blue train
To discover me aboard this blue train
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tippysdaddy7468
Thank you for uploading all these tracks of Trio 1 and Trio 2. 3 Beautiful voices in perfect Harmony love both albums ❤
@MrWayneWhite
The song you can turn out the lights and dance to in the rain alone, barefoot. Linda's voice is at its best, Dolly and Emmylou doing harmony backings makes it heavenly 😍. This song takes you back to a time of talent, decency and calm. These three legands voices just melted so well together.
@catherinetodd
I can listen to this all night long... finally, Ronstadt's voice at it's velvet best!
@HoneyDanie1
In loving memory of my Mother. I discovered this song and country music by her. Rest in peace Queen of my heart. May God bless your soul!
@catherinetodd
Wow -never heard this album before. Wonderful!
@tapiwaprince6953
one of the greatest songs of all time
@JohnBoy918
I love this song!
@peeterpoon
Just a terrific song about lost love. Thanks for posting.
@randyventresca4152
Linda Ronstadt is the greatest, most diverse female vocalist of her generation.
@catherinetodd
True, but the album is billed as by these three wonderful voices in music!