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 Tender Touch of Love
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've felt the stings
Of love's burning pain
And I've felt the happiness
Of those around me
But I've never felt the touch
Of love's sweet hand
That makes your body trembling with true love
They say oh that words could not describe it
Oh but I've never felt the
Tender touch of love
Though I've felt needy hands say "I love you"
But when the need is gone, they turn away
And leave my heart with emptiness inside it
The hands of hurting touch the empty place
I've never felt the touch of understanding
That makes your body tremble with true love
They say could not describe it
But I've never felt the tender touch of love
Oh no I've never felt the
Tender touch of love
In "The Tender Touch of Love" by Dolly Parton, the singer reflects on the various experiences she has had with love. She starts by acknowledging the different ways she has encountered love, from the harsh realities of fate to the painful moments of heartbreak. She has also witnessed the happiness that love brings to others, but despite all these encounters, she hasn't yet experienced the gentle and compassionate touch of love firsthand.
The singer longs for the tender touch of love and understanding, a touch that has the power to make her body tremble with true love. She suggests that words alone cannot accurately describe this feeling, emphasizing the depth of emotion she craves. Although others have expressed love for her, she has often felt abandoned and left with an emptiness in her heart. These fleeting expressions of love have failed to reach the deeper places within her.
The song is a heartfelt expression of the singer's yearning for a genuine and profound connection of love. It highlights the difference between superficial affection and the true depth that comes with understanding and tenderness. Dolly Parton's soulful delivery enhances the emotional resonance of the lyrics, making "The Tender Touch of Love" a poignant reflection on the singer's longing for a more meaningful love experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I've felt the sturdy hand of fate upon me
I have experienced the firm grip of destiny on my life
And I've felt the stings
And I have experienced the painful wounds
Of love's burning pain
Caused by the intense agony of love
And I've felt the happiness
And I have experienced the joy
Of those around me
Of the people surrounding me
But I've never felt the touch
But I have never experienced the gentle contact
Of love's sweet hand
Of the affectionate gesture of love
The tender touch of love and understanding
The gentle and compassionate contact of love
That makes your body trembling with true love
That causes your body to shake with genuine love
They say oh that words could not describe it
People say that words cannot capture its essence
Oh but I've never felt the
Oh, but I have never experienced the
Tender touch of love
Gentle and affectionate contact of love
Though I've felt needy hands say 'I love you'
Even though I have experienced desperate hands expressing love
But when the need is gone, they turn away
But when the necessity disappears, they abandon me
And leave my heart with emptiness inside it
And leave my heart feeling hollow
The hands of hurting touch the empty place
The hands that cause pain touch the void within
I've never felt the touch of understanding
I have never experienced the contact of empathy
That makes your body tremble with true love
That causes your body to shake with genuine love
They say could not describe it
They say words cannot capture it
But I've never felt the tender touch of love
But I have never experienced the gentle and affectionate contact of love
Oh no I've never felt the
Oh no, I have never experienced the
Tender touch of love
Gentle and affectionate contact of love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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.