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.
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Together You and I
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And as faithful as the stars that grace the night
As constant as the sun making its journey through the heavens
And we will always be together, you and I
Together you and I can stop the rain and make the sun shine
Paint a pretty rainbow brushed with love across the sky
Together you and I belong like a songbird and a song
Life with you is sweeter than the fragrance of the flowers
And as happy as the laughter of a child
As peaceful as a river and as lasting as forever
You know we'll always be together, you and I
Together you and I can stop the rain and make the sun shine
Paint a pretty rainbow brushed with love across the sky
Together you and I belong like a songbird and a song
And we'll always be together, you and I
I'll always be beside or close behind you (together, together)
Wherever you go, you'll always know I'll always find you
Together you and I can stop the rain and make the sun shine
Paint a pretty rainbow brushed with love across the sky (together, together)
Together you and I belong like a songbird and a song
And we'll always be together, you and I
We'll always be together, you and I
Forever together
Together forever, you and I (together, together)
Forever together
Together you and I will always be (together, together)
Together you and I
In Dolly Parton's song "Together You and I," she describes her love for someone as being deep and unwavering. She compares her love to the ocean's depth and the stars' constancy in the sky. She believes that her love is as constant as the journey of the sun to the heavens. This is why they will always be together.
Dolly Parton believes that together, they can create something beautiful. They can stop the rain from falling and make the sun shine. She likens their belonging to each other like a songbird and a song. Their love together is so sweet that it's like the fragrance of flowers. She is as happy with this person as she would be with a child's laughter. Her love for them is peaceful like a river and lasts forever.
In summary, Dolly Parton sings about her deep, constant, and unwavering love for someone. She compares their love to things that last forever, like the ocean, the stars, and the sun. She also believes that together, they can make something beautiful and stop the rain from falling.
Line by Line Meaning
My love for you is deeper than the depth of any ocean
My love is immensely deep, boundless and endless.
And as faithful as the stars that grace the night
My love is as unwavering and steadfast as the constellations above us.
As constant as the sun in its journey to the heavens
My love is as reliable and unchanging as the daily rising and setting of the sun.
That's why we will always be together you and I
Our love is unbreakable and we will always remain together.
Together you and I can stop the rain and make the sun shine
Together, we have the power to overcome challenges, and bring joy and happiness into each other's lives.
Paint a pretty rainbow in the sky
Together, we can create beauty and wonder in the world around us.
Together you and I belong like a songbird and a song
Our love is a natural and harmonious match, like a songbird singing a beautiful melody.
That's why we will always be together you and I
Our connection and love for each other is unbreakable and enduring.
Life with you is sweeter than the fragrance of the flowers
Being with you adds a sweetness and beauty to my life, like the sweet aroma of flowers.
And as happy as the laughter of a child
Our love is playful and fills us with joy, like the sound of a child's infectious laughter.
As peaceful as a river as lasting as forever
Our love is calm and serene, and will last for eternity.
That's why we will always be together you and I
Our love is unbreakable and we will always remain together.
Together you and I can stop the rain...
Together, we have the power to overcome challenges and struggles in our relationship, and create sunshine even on the darkest days.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dolly Parton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J's Zone !!!
My lil bro is in this when 0:52 part hits. Was a terrible time, but Dolly Parton got him through it Lol. He's recovered now thankfully, and still this song makes me cry. Love you Dolly you make this world a better place by being in it.
Mairead Power
So glad he's recovered 🙌 👏🙏
munya mubaiwa
Bless you and him. Love from Zimbabwe Africa.
Wendy Saslow
Oh. Wow. Was he the little boy without hair? So happy he recovered!
Andrew N
My mom does the cutest little hand motions to this and sings along in the car , she’s aging now , and those moments cruising along to this song will last forever . It always makes me think no matter what happens my mother will always be with me
Rachel Heflin
Be blessed u still have ir mom..cause I've lossed mine....my mother would do the same thing with different songs
Brandon Kohout
Dolly Parton is truly the Queen of Country.
Bruce Moodley
There is no doubt Dolly is not only an "american treasure and legend" she is also a global Icon par excellence -gosh we love this woman so much -god bless her
Kris Eyre
Dolly is such an amazing role model for everyone, she literally had nothing and started from the bottom, she's worked hard to get to where she is today, wish a lot more people were like her today & the world would be a better place! ❤️
Tulimatai Smith
I love listening n watching this, if the whole world can come together as Dolly sings it, that you n I can stop the rain n we'll always be together!!! Awesome thank you Dolly!