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
Today I Started Loving You
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm right back where I've really always been
I got over you just long enough to let my heartache mend
And then today I started loving you again
What a fool I was to think I could get by
With only these few million tears I've cried
I guess I should have known the worst was yet to come
Today I started loving you again
I'm right back where I've really always been
I got over you just long enough to let my heartache mend
And then today I started loving you again
Today I started loving you again
I'm right back where I've really always been
I got over you just long enough to let my heartache mend
And then today I started loving you again
Today I started loving you again
Today I started loving you
Today I started loving you again
In Dolly Parton's song "Today I Started Loving You Again," the lyrics depict a narrator who has experienced heartbreak and is now slowly finding themselves falling in love again with someone who they had previously loved. The opening line, "Today I started loving you again," suggests a new beginning, indicating that the singer has made a conscious decision to open their heart and give love another chance.
The next line, "I'm right back where I've really always been," suggests that despite the breakup or time apart, the singer never truly stopped loving the person they are referring to. It implies that even during the period of heartache and healing, their love has always remained constant.
The singer reflects on the past, revealing that they had tried to move on from the previous relationship, but they were only able to do so temporarily. Their attempt to "get over" the person was halted by the realization that their heartache needed time to mend. This shows the depth of their emotions and the struggle they went through to heal from the pain.
The lyrics emphasize the singer's vulnerability and admission of their foolishness in thinking they could easily move on and replace their previous love. They acknowledge the countless tears shed during the healing process, indicating the immense sadness and grief they experienced.
Overall, the song encapsulates the bittersweet journey of healing and rediscovering love. It acknowledges the pain of heartbreak and the strength it takes to allow oneself to love again. The lyrics beautifully portray the complexities of human emotions and the universal experience of love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Today I started loving you again
After some time apart, I have decided to love you once more
I'm right back where I've really always been
I have returned to the place where I have always felt love for you
I got over you just long enough to let my heartache mend
I managed to move on from our past pain for a short while, allowing my heart to heal
And then today I started loving you again
And now, on this very day, I have reignited my love for you
What a fool I was to think I could get by
Looking back, I realize how foolish I was to believe I could live without you
With only these few million tears I've cried
Despite shedding countless tears, I now understand that it was not enough to ease my pain
I guess I should have known the worst was yet to come
Perhaps I should have realized that even more difficult times were still ahead
And the crying time for me had just begun
I had not yet experienced the full extent of my sadness and tears
Today I started loving you again
Once again, today marks the start of my love for you
I'm right back where I've really always been
Once more, I find myself in the place where I have truly belonged all along
I got over you just long enough to let my heartache mend
For a brief period, I managed to move on and allow my heart to heal from the pain you caused
And then today I started loving you again
Yet, on this day, I have decided to once again give my love to you
Today I started loving you again
Today signifies the beginning of my love for you once more
Today I started loving you
Today, my emotions are filled with love for you
Today I started loving you again
Once again, today is the day when I recommence loving you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ruth Boykin
Wow! I love this song and THIS is a GREAT version! Thanks Bill!
EL MEJOR ROCK DEL MUNDO.
10 10 10 POINT SSS°°°°°° MUCHAS GRACIAS LOCO!!!!!
Maria Johnson
i love this song ..alot..