Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946 in Sevierville, Tennessee, U.S… Read Full Bio ↴Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946 in Sevierville, Tennessee, U.S.) is an American country singer, songwriter, composer, producer, entrepreneur, author and actress.

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

Two Litter Orphans
Dolly Parton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Two little children, a boy and a girl
Sat by an old church door
The little girl's feet
Were as brown as the curl
That fell on the dress that she wore
The little boy's clothes were all tattered and torn
They shone beneath his blue eyes

"Why don't you go home
To your mommy," I said
And this was the maiden's reply
"Mommy's in heaven
Angels took her away
Left Tim and I all alone
We've no one to love us
And daddy is dead
And our darling mother is gone"

Mommy got sick
Angels took her away
To dwell in those mansions so bright
She said she would come
For her children some day
And I guess she's coming tonight
The sexton came early
To ring the church bell
And found them
Beneath the snow white

The angels made room for the orphans to dwell
Up in heaven with their mommy that night

Overall Meaning

The song "Two Little Orphans," sung by Dolly Parton, touches upon a melancholic story of two children, a young girl and a boy who are sitting by an old church door. They both appear disheveled, with torn and tattered clothing, indicating their harsh living conditions. As Dolly Parton observes the children, she tries to understand their situation by asking the girl why they don't go home to their mother. The girl responds by telling her that they have no one left, as their father is dead and their mother had died of an illness that took her to the heavens. She believes that her mother's promise to return and take them home is finally coming true, and they will soon be with her in heaven.

The tone of the song is sweet, melodious, and gentle despite the tragic story it tells. The loss of both parents is a harsh reality for these siblings, and it is heartrending to think of their predicament. However, the song highlights the eternal hope for a better place beyond our reach, where we can all be reunited with those we've lost. It is a poignant and touching reminder that life is fleeting, and our loved ones are never too far away, even in death.

Line by Line Meaning

Two little children, a boy and a girl
There were two orphaned children, a boy and a girl

Sat by an old church door
They were sitting outside a church

The little girl's feet
The girl's feet were

Were as brown as the curl
As brown as the curl of hair

That fell on the dress that she wore
That was falling on her dress

The little boy's clothes were all tattered and torn
The boy's clothes were damaged and frayed

They shone beneath his blue eyes
His blue eyes were shining

"Why don't you go home
"Why don't you go back

To your mommy," I said
To where your mother is," the artist said

And this was the maiden's reply
This is what the girl answered

"Mommy's in heaven
"Our mother died and went to heaven