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 Camel's Heart
Dolly Parton Lyrics
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Expecting me to listen to your lies
You want me to forget and to forgive
Enough, enough, this ain't no way to live
I know you wonder why I'd leave like this
After all the hurt I've put up with
This is the last time, this is the last straw
Too late, too late now it's your time to crawl
She's just the straw that broke the camel's heart
It's not her fault, it's yours we fell apart
No more, I'm done, I want a brand new start
(It's) She's just the straw that broke the camel's heart
I've been grasping at straws for much too long
This ain't the first time you have done me wrong
This time you drew the short end of the straw
The game is over, you have lost it all
She's just the straw that broke the camel's heart
It's not her fault, it's yours we fell apart
No more, I'm done, I want a brand new start
(It's) She's just the straw that broke the camel's heart
She's just the straw that broke the camel's heart
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's "The Camel's Heart" talks about a person who has had enough of the lies and hurt from their partner. The partner has come to them with teardrops in their eyes, asking for forgiveness and to forget what they have done. But this time, the person has had enough, and they are leaving for good. The chorus repeats the line "She's just the straw that broke the camel's heart," indicating that the partner's actions were the final blow to their relationship.
The song portrays a sense of finality as the person declares that they want a brand new start and that the game is over, and their partner has lost it all. The lyrics suggest that the partner has been doing them wrong for a long time, and they have been grasping at straws to keep the relationship going. The person realizes that the situation cannot go on like this any longer and decides to make a clean break.
"The Camel's Heart" is a metaphorical song that conveys the message that every relationship has its breaking point, and it takes one final blow to end it. The lyrics are potent and convey the emotions of the person in the situation. The song's tone is empowering, as the person takes control of their life and declares that enough is enough.
Line by Line Meaning
You come to me with teardrops in your eyes
You try to manipulate me with your fake tears
Expecting me to listen to your lies
You think I'm foolish enough to believe your lies
You want me to forget and to forgive
You want me to forget all the times you hurt me and forgive you
Enough, enough, this ain't no way to live
I can't keep living like this, always forgiving you when you hurt me
I know you wonder why I'd leave like this
You can't understand why I'm leaving you now
After all the hurt I've put up with
I've endured so much pain and suffering from you
This is the last time, this is the last straw
I'm done with you and this is the final straw
Too late, too late now it's your time to crawl
You had your chance and now you have to face the consequences
She's just the straw that broke the camel's heart
You may not be solely to blame, but you are the final cause of our breakup
It's not her fault, it's yours we fell apart
You can't blame her for our problems because it's your actions that caused our breakup
No more, I'm done, I want a brand new start
I'm moving on from you and starting fresh
(It's) She's just the straw that broke the camel's heart
Once again, you are the main cause of our breakup and she was just the final straw
Contributed by Caleb O. 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.