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
Twelfth of Never
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Must I explain
I need you oh my darling
Like roses need rain
You ask how long I'll love you
I'll tell you true
Until the Twelfth of Never
I'll still be loving you
Hold me close
Never let me go
Hold me close
Melt my heart like April snow
I'll love you 'til the bluebells
Forget to bloom
I'll love you 'til the clover
Has lost it's perfume
And I'll love you 'til the poets
Run out of rhyme
Until the Twelfth of Never
And that's a long, long time
Hold me close
Never let me go
Hold me close
Melt my heart like April snow
I'll love you 'til the bluebells
Forget to bloom
I'll love you 'til the clover
Has lost it's perfume
And I'll love you 'til the poets
Run out of rhyme
Until the Twelfth of Never
And that's a long, long time
Until the Twelfth of Never
And that's a long, long time
A long, long time
The lyrics to Dolly Parton's song "Twelfth of Never" express an unwavering commitment to a loved one that lasts for all of eternity. The singer of the song is asked how much they need this person and how long they will love them. The response is that they need this person deeply, like roses need rain, and will love them until the twelfth of never, which is a poetic way of indicating an infinite amount of time.
The lyrics are full of vivid imagery, such as the melting of a heart like April snow, and the bluebells forgetting to bloom. This serves to deepen the emotional intensity of the song and underscore the depth of the singer's love. The song's message is clear: the singer will love this person with a steadfast and eternal devotion.
Overall, the lyrics to "Twelfth of Never" are a poignant expression of love and commitment. They convey a feeling of significant depth and sincerity, and the imagery used in the song only serves to enhance the emotional resonance of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
You ask me how much I need you
Questioning the depths of my feeling for you
Must I explain
Do I really need to express everything I feel for you?
I need you oh my darling
I cannot live without you, my love
Like roses need rain
Just as roses need rain for survival and growth
You ask how long I'll love you
Wondering how long my love will last
I'll tell you true
I promise to be honest about my feelings for you
Until the Twelfth of Never
My love for you will endure until forever
I'll still be loving you
I will never stop loving you
Hold me close
Embrace me tightly
Never let me go
Promise to never leave my side
Melt my heart like April snow
Warm my heart and fill it with love and passion
I'll love you 'til the bluebells
My love for you will last as long as bluebells are in bloom
Forget to bloom
Even when the bluebells stop blooming
I'll love you 'til the clover
My love for you will last as long as clover retains its perfume
Has lost it's perfume
Even when the clover is no longer fragrant
And I'll love you 'til the poets
My love for you will endure as long as poets can find words to rhyme
Run out of rhyme
Even when poets can no longer find rhyming words
Until the Twelfth of Never
My love for you will be eternal
And that's a long, long time
Being forever in love is a very long time
Until the Twelfth of Never
My love for you will endure until forever
And that's a long, long time
Being forever in love is a very long time
A long, long time
Being forever in love is a very long time
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, GUY WEBSTER/WEBSTER MUSIC
Written by: PAUL FRANCIS WEBSTER, JERRY LIVINGSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stevenbrahma1509
You ask me how much I need you
Must I explain
I need you oh my darlin'
Like roses need the rain
You ask how long I'll love you
I'll tell you true
Until the twelfth of never
I'll still be loving you
So hold me close
Never let me go
Hold me close
Melt my heart like April snow
I'll love you 'til the bluebells
Forget to bloom
I'll love you 'til the clover
Has lost its perfume
I'll love you 'til the poets
Run out of rhyme
Until the twelfth of never
And that's a long, long time
So hold me close
Never let me go
Just hold me close
Melt my heart like April snow
You ask how much I need you
Must I explain
I need you oh my darlin'
Like the roses need the rain
You ask how long I'll love you
I'll tell you true
Until the twelfth of never
I'll still be lovin' you
So hold me close
And never let me go
Just hold me close
Melt my heart like April snow
I'll love you 'til the poets
Run out of rhyme
Until the twelfth of never
@dollyfan13
I love this song I was so heartbroken when iTunes took the album down even though I had already bought it. I just noticed it’s back and I’m so glad. 😍
@jerrymichaelcrowe1917
Never been a more beautiful song as this. Thank you for posting this timeless treasure. Very healing for me.
@stevenbrahma1509
You ask me how much I need you
Must I explain
I need you oh my darlin'
Like roses need the rain
You ask how long I'll love you
I'll tell you true
Until the twelfth of never
I'll still be loving you
So hold me close
Never let me go
Hold me close
Melt my heart like April snow
I'll love you 'til the bluebells
Forget to bloom
I'll love you 'til the clover
Has lost its perfume
I'll love you 'til the poets
Run out of rhyme
Until the twelfth of never
And that's a long, long time
So hold me close
Never let me go
Just hold me close
Melt my heart like April snow
You ask how much I need you
Must I explain
I need you oh my darlin'
Like the roses need the rain
You ask how long I'll love you
I'll tell you true
Until the twelfth of never
I'll still be lovin' you
So hold me close
And never let me go
Just hold me close
Melt my heart like April snow
I'll love you 'til the poets
Run out of rhyme
Until the twelfth of never
@joatmon101b
Much more up tempo than any other version ive heard.
@johnkehoe646
Beautiful....and I love the little laugh at the end.
@belindanadela4203
Love this version of the twelfth of never.
@craigbrown9029
Dolly Parton, World class legend!
@edgeriderrocks8997
Nice job 💙!!!
@alexishuertabarroso2845
Hermoso Tema....Felicidades desde VENEZUELA
@teriw56
Dolly is anointed