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
Try Being Lonely
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suppose you wanted someone the way I want you
Just imagine your body, mind and soul breaking in two
Walk the floor each night, shed tears you can't conceal
Just try being lonely, then you'll know just how I feel
I saw you with your new love and oh it hurt me so
Funny how I see your face everywhere I go
So I hurried around the corner so you wouldn't see me cry
Suppose you wanted someone the way I want you
Just imagine your body, mind and soul breaking in too
Walk the floor each night, shed tears you can't conceal
Just try being lonely, then you know just how I feel
Just try being lonely, then you know just how I feel
In Dolly Parton's song "Try Being Lonely," the lyrics convey the feelings of heartbreak and loneliness. The singer paints the picture of someone who is pining for a love that they cannot have. They describe the physical and emotional toll this longing takes on them- they are up all night walking the floor, shedding tears they cannot hide. They then mention seeing their love with someone else and feeling hurt by it, yet also noting how happy their love seems. The song concludes with the repeated refrain of "Just try being lonely, then you'll know just how I feel."
Line by Line Meaning
Suppose you wanted someone the way I want you
If you can imagine wanting someone as much as I want you
Just imagine your body, mind and soul breaking in two
Think about how painful it would be for your entire being to fracture apart
Walk the floor each night, shed tears you can't conceal
Imagine pacing around every night, unable to hide the tears that fall
Just try being lonely, then you'll know just how I feel
You would only be able to understand how I feel if you experienced this loneliness yourself
I saw you with your new love and oh it hurt me so
It caused me great pain to see you with someone else
Funny how I see your face everywhere I go
It seems strange that I keep encountering your face no matter where I am
You smiled and looked to be so happy as you passed by
Despite my sadness, it appeared that you were content as you walked by with your new partner
So I hurried around the corner so you wouldn't see me cry
I rushed to hide around a corner so you wouldn't see me weeping
Just try being lonely, then you know just how I feel
Only by experiencing this loneliness for yourself can you truly understand my feelings
Lyrics © OBO 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.