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 Carol County Accident
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Carroll County's pointed out as kind of square
The biggest thing that happens is the county fair
And I guess that's why it seemed like such a big event
What we all call the Carroll County accident
The wreck was on the highway just inside the line
Walter Browning lost his life and for a time
But she lived long enough for her to testify
Now Walter Browning was a happy married man
And he wore a golden wedding ring upon his hand
But it was gone nobody knew just where it went
He'd lost it in the Carroll County accident
Mary Ellen testified he flagged her down
Said he was sick and could she drive him into town
And no one even doubted what she said was true
Cause she was well respected in the county too
Now I went down to see the wreck like all the rest
The bloody seats, the broken glass, the tangled mess
But I found something no one else had even seen
Behind the dash in Mary's crumpled up machine
A little matchbox circled by a rubberband
And inside the ring from Walter Browning's hand
And it took a while to figure out just what it meant
The truth about the Carroll County accident
By dark of night I dropped the ring into a well
And I took a sacred oath that I would never tell
The secret of the Carroll County accident
Cause the county ordered dad a marble monument
I lost him in the Carroll County accident
"The Carroll County Accident" is a story about a tragic accident that occurred in a small town of Carroll County, which is described as being "kind of square" and not having many major events. The song's narrator describes the accident and the aftermath, including the death of Walter Browning and the survival of Mary Ellen Jones, who testified about what happened. It's revealed that Walter had lost his wedding ring, and Mary Ellen testified that he had asked for a ride into town because he was feeling sick.
The last verse reveals that the singer found Walter's wedding ring in Mary Ellen's car and dropped it into a well, keeping the secret of what really happened in the accident. The reason for his secrecy is that the county ordered a marble monument for Walter, implying that they wanted to cover up the true story of the accident.
The song can be interpreted as a commentary on the corruption that can occur in small, close-knit communities where secrets are kept to maintain a certain image or reputation. It also touches on themes of loyalty, secrecy, and morality.
Line by Line Meaning
Carroll County's pointed out as kind of square
The people in Carroll County are known to be conservative in their beliefs and lifestyles
The biggest thing that happens is the county fair
The county fair is the major event that gathers people from all over Carroll County
And I guess that's why it seemed like such a big event
The tragic incident that happened in Carroll County was significant and drew a lot of attention due to the lack of such occurrences
What we all call the Carroll County accident
The incident that occurred in Carroll County that led to the loss of lives and property
The wreck was on the highway just inside the line
The accident happened close to the boundary of Carroll County
Walter Browning lost his life and for a time
Walter Browning died as a result of the mishap and there was a period of mourning
It seemed that Mary Ellen Jones would surely die
Mary Ellen Jones was badly injured, and it was uncertain if she would survive
But she lived long enough for her to testify
Mary Ellen was alive long enough to give an account of what happened
Now Walter Browning was a happy married man
Walter Browning was a joyful husband to his wife, and their marriage was going well
And he wore a golden wedding ring upon his hand
Walter wore a wedding ring on his finger to show his commitment to his wife
But it was gone nobody knew just where it went
After the accident, Walter's wedding ring was missing, and nobody could explain its whereabouts
He'd lost it in the Carroll County accident
Walter's ring vanished after the Carroll County accident, and it wasn't found until later
Mary Ellen testified he flagged her down
Mary Ellen claimed that Walter waved her down and asked her to drive him to town
Said he was sick and could she drive him into town
Walter told Mary Ellen that he was unwell and needed her to take him to town
And no one even doubted what she said was true
Mary Ellen was a trustworthy person, and her testimony was not disputed by anyone
Cause she was well respected in the county too
Mary Ellen was a notable figure in Carroll County, and many people respected her
Now I went down to see the wreck like all the rest
The artist went to the accident site to observe the wreckage like many others who were curious
The bloody seats, the broken glass, the tangled mess
The scene was gruesome and chaotic, with shattered glass and bloodied seats
But I found something no one else had even seen
The singer discovered something that had gone unnoticed by others
Behind the dash in Mary's crumpled up machine
The object was located behind the dashboard of Mary Ellen's wrecked vehicle
A little matchbox circled by a rubberband
The item was a small container that was held together with a rubber band
And inside the ring from Walter Browning's hand
The container held Walter's wedding ring, which was missing after the accident
And it took a while to figure out just what it meant
The implications of finding the ring in Mary Ellen's vehicle were not immediately clear
The truth about the Carroll County accident
The ring's discovery resolved some of the questions regarding the accident that were still unanswered
By dark of night I dropped the ring into a well
The singer disposed of the ring by discarding it in a secluded well under the cover of darkness
And I took a sacred oath that I would never tell
The singer promised never to reveal the details of finding Walter's ring or the possibility that Mary Ellen was responsible for his death
The secret of the Carroll County accident
The truth about the accident remains hidden from the public, and only a few people know what truly happened
Cause the county ordered dad a marble monument
Walter's family was compensated by having a monument constructed in his honor by the county
I lost him in the Carroll County accident
The artist suffered the loss of someone dear to them in the Carroll County accident
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Ferguson
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.