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 Party
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our little girl and boy
Came in and asked if they could go this time
We told them little girls and
Boys don't belong at parties
And that they should be in bed asleep by nine
The babysitter came in then and
We kissed the kids goodbye
And told them not to cry
Then we left for the party
Like we'd so often done
Thinkin' only of ourselves and
Not our little ones
The party started out wild and it grew
Wilder as the night wore on
With drinking laughing teling dirty jokes
Nobody thinkin' of home
Then the stranger feeling came over me and
It chilled me to the bones
And I told my wife that
We'd better leave the party
'Cause I felt that we were needed at home
As we rode along, i got to thinking of how
The kids that mornin'
Had asked if we would take them
To church the next day
And how I'd put 'em off
Like I'd so often done
By sayin' we'd probably get home too late
Then my thoughts were interrupted by
The sound of sirens
As they cut through the still night air
Then we turned down our street
That's when we saw the fire
The rest was like a nightmare
We took their little bodies to
Church the next day
Though we'd left the party early we
Still got home too late
The lyrics of "The Party" by Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner tell a heartbreaking story of regret and the devastating consequences of neglecting one's responsibilities as parents. The song opens with the couple getting ready to go out for the night, when their children ask if they can join them at the party. The parents dismiss their request, stating that children should be in bed by nine and not allowed at parties.
The parents leave for the party, completely wrapped up in their own desires and not thinking of the impact their choices have on their children. The party grows wilder and more reckless as the night goes on, with no consideration for the responsibilities waiting for them at home. However, the singer experiences a sudden realization, a "stranger feeling," that something is wrong and that they are needed at home. They decide to leave the party and head back.
As they drive home, the guilt-ridden thoughts of how they had brushed off their children's request to go to church the next day consumes the singer's mind. Their thoughts are abruptly interrupted by the sound of sirens, indicating a tragedy. When they arrive home, they witness the devastating sight of their house on fire. In shock and despair, they realize that they arrived home too late to save their children.
The song serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of prioritizing family responsibilities over personal desires. It carries a profound message about the consequences of neglecting the needs and well-being of our loved ones. "The Party" serves as a reminder to cherish the moments we have with our children and to prioritize their happiness and safety above all else.
Line by Line Meaning
As we were dressing to go out
While we were getting ready to leave our house
Our little girl and boy
Referring to our young daughter and son
Came in and asked if they could go this time
Entered the room and requested to join us at the party
We told them little girls and Boys don't belong at parties
We explained that parties are not suitable for young children
And that they should be in bed asleep by nine
We instructed them to go to sleep before nine o'clock
The babysitter came in then
At that moment, the babysitter arrived
We kissed the kids goodbye
We bid farewell to our children with kisses
And told them that we'd be home soon
We assured them of our imminent return
And told them not to cry
We comforted them, asking them not to shed tears
Then we left for the party
Subsequently, we departed for the party
Like we'd so often done
In the manner we had done numerous times before
Thinkin' only of ourselves and
Being selfish and solely concerned about ourselves
Not our little ones
Neglecting the well-being of our children
The party started out wild and it grew
The party began in a lively manner and escalated
Wilder as the night wore on
Becoming even more raucous as the night progressed
With drinking laughing telling dirty jokes
Involving alcohol, laughter, and sharing inappropriate jokes
Nobody thinkin' of home
Nobody considering their responsibilities at home
Then the stranger feeling came over me and
At that moment, an unfamiliar sensation overwhelmed me and
It chilled me to the bones
It deeply unsettled and frightened me
And I told my wife that we'd better leave the party
I informed my spouse that it was necessary for us to depart from the event
'Cause I felt that we were needed at home
Because I had a strong sense that our presence was required at our house
As we rode along, I got to thinking of how
While we were traveling, I started contemplating about
The kids that mornin' Had asked if we would take them
How our children that morning had requested to accompany us
To church the next day
To attend the religious service the following day
And how I'd put 'em off Like I'd so often done
And how I had ignored their request just like I frequently did
By sayin' we'd probably get home too late
By replying that we would likely return home too late
Then my thoughts were interrupted by
Suddenly, my thoughts were disrupted by
The sound of sirens
The audible wailing of emergency vehicles
As they cut through the still night air
Penetrating the silent atmosphere of the nighttime
Then we turned down our street
Subsequently, we took a turn onto our residential road
That's when we saw the fire
At that moment, we witnessed the blaze
The rest was like a nightmare
The subsequent events felt like a horrifying and distressing dream
We took their little bodies to
We carried their lifeless corpses to
Church the next day
The place of worship on the following day
Though we'd left the party early we
Despite departing from the party prematurely, we
Still got home too late
Regrettably, arrived at home after it was already too late
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bukurie
It is pleasure to hear Po🌟rter Wagoner and Dol🌟ly Parton😍🌏🙏
Dion
Nobody could do those sad recitations like Porter Wagoner and Red Sovine. Another good one that's sad like this is Joeys Old Things, by Jimmy Gateley. He also has a good one called, She Wants To Be Like You. I knew Jimmy Gateley's brother when I was a boy.
Jason Halverson
reminds me of something that happened when i was young. a relative of my dad's lost 6 kids in a fire while they were away! 😢
Floren York
I remember mom always listening to this as I was child
Jim Watson
Reminds me of a similar situation when I was a kid. Sad Memory.
Heather emc
Holy crap! I love Dolly but....I don't... It's just...how did this....what???
Amanda Hayes
This song has a meaning that life is short spend as much as possible there a fire years ago that loss of small children lives parents weren't home at a party baby sister was killed also from electric fire sad song but true
Jamie Kimsey
Wow😭😭😭😭
Patrick Carney
Gruesome
ciscokid25
morbid song