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 Bridge
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The bridge, so tall
Here is where it started
On the bridge
The moon is big and yellow
And the stars are all a' glow
From the bridge, I see reflections
In the waters far below
You kissed me for the first time here
An' held me awfully tight
And the bridge became our favorite place
We came here often in the night
And one night while standing on the bridge
Desire swept through us both
Passion took us by the hand
And showed us where to go
From the bridge we saw a meadow
So we ran together there
Where we found love together
Our emotions filled the air
The bridge, so wide
The bridge, so long
Where once we stood together
Tonight I stand alone
Tonight, while standing on the bridge
My heart is beating wild
To think that you could leave me here
With our unborn child
My feet are moving slowly
Closer to the edge
Here is where it started
And here is where I'll end it...
In Dolly Parton's song "The Bridge," the lyrics take us on a journey through time as the singer reflects on memories associated with a particular place, the bridge. The song starts by highlighting the bridge's physical characteristics, describing it as both high and tall. It is on this bridge that the singer shares a significant moment with a loved one, specifically when they shared their first kiss. The bridge later became their go-to spot, where they would spend their nights together.
As the song progresses, the lyrics take a darker turn. The singer stands alone on the bridge, reflecting on the memories shared with their loved one. They stand on the same bridge where they once shared a moment of passion, but now they are alone, holding their unborn child. The lyrics illustrate the emotional turmoil the singer is feeling as they contemplate ending their life on the same bridge that once brought them joy and love.
Overall, "The Bridge" is a poignant reminder of how closely intertwined our emotions can be with particular places and memories. It is a powerful example of how music can tell a story and convey complex emotions in just a few short verses.
Line by Line Meaning
The bridge, so high
The bridge is elevated to a great height
The bridge, so tall
The bridge is constructed to a significant height
Here is where it started
The following events took place at the location of the bridge
On the bridge
The events being described happened while on the bridge
The moon is big and yellow
The appearance of the moon is large and yellow
And the stars are all a' glow
The stars are radiating light
From the bridge, I see reflections
The singer can observe reflections in the water from their position on the bridge
In the waters far below
The water is located at a distance beneath the bridge
You kissed me for the first time here
The artist was kissed for the first time at this location
An' held me awfully tight
The artist was embraced tightly
And the bridge became our favorite place
The bridge became a preferred location for the singer and their companion
We came here often in the night
The artist and their companion would frequently visit the bridge at night
And one night while standing on the bridge
During one of their visits to the bridge, the following events occurred
Desire swept through us both
The singer and their companion both experienced intense feelings of desire
Passion took us by the hand
Their strong feelings led the singer and their companion to act passionately
And showed us where to go
Their passion was so strong that it led them to a specific location
From the bridge we saw a meadow
The artist observed a meadow from their position on the bridge
So we ran together there
The singer and their companion went to the meadow together
Where we found love together
The singer and their companion found affection for each other in the meadow
Our emotions filled the air
The artist and their companion felt strong emotions
The bridge, so wide
The bridge has a substantial width
The bridge, so long
The bridge has an extended length
Where once we stood together
The singer and their companion stood together in the past at this location
Tonight I stand alone
The artist is currently standing alone on the bridge
Tonight, while standing on the bridge
The events being described happen as the singer is standing on the bridge
My heart is beating wild
The singer is feeling a strong emotional response
To think that you could leave me here
The singer is surprised and hurt by the thought of their companion leaving them
With our unborn child
The artist is currently pregnant with their companion's child
My feet are moving slowly
The artist is walking slowly
Closer to the edge
The singer is approaching the edge of the bridge
And here is where I'll end it...
The singer is contemplating ending their life by jumping from the bridge
Contributed by Elijah S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.