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
Wabash Cannon Ball
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the wide Pacific shore
To the queen of flowing mountains
For the hills and by the shore
She's mighty tall and handsome
And she's known quite well by all
She came down from Birmingham
On the Wabash Cannonball
To the rumble and the roar
As she glides along the woodland
Through the hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of the engine
And the lonesome hoboes call
No changes can be taken
On the Wabash Cannonball
Now here's to daddy Claxton
May his name forever stand
He'll always be remembered
In the ports throughout the land
His earthly race is over
And the curtain round him falls
We'll carry him home to Glory
On the Wabash Cannonball
Well now listen to the jingle
To the rumble and the roar
As she glides along the woodland
Through the hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of the engine
And the lonesome hoboes call
No changes can be taken
On the Wabash Cannonball
Well listen to the jingle
To the rumble and the roar
As she glides along the woodland
Through the hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of the engine
And the lonesome hoboes call
No changes can be taken
On the Wabash Cannonball
The lyrics of Dolly Parton's "Wabash Cannon Ball" describe an iconic train that travels the length of the United States from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific shore, stopping at various mountains and hills along the way. The train is described as tall and handsome, known by all who encounter it, and features a powerful engine that produces a mighty rush as it chugs along the tracks. The song also pays tribute to a man named Daddy Claxton, who has passed away and is being carried home to Glory on the Wabash Cannonball.
There is an air of nostalgia and reverence in the song's lyrics, which capture the majesty and power of the train and convey a sense of respect for those who have passed on. The refrain – "listen to the jingle, to the rumble and the roar" – captures the experience of hearing a train passing in the distance, and the rhythmic quality of the lyrics echoes the movement of the train itself. Overall, the song celebrates a powerful symbol of American history and identity in a way that is both lively and reverent.
Line by Line Meaning
From the great Atlantic ocean
Starting from the east coast
To the wide Pacific shore
Ending on the west coast
To the queen of flowing mountains
Refers to a specific place of beauty
For the hills and by the shore
The location of the queen of mountains
She's mighty tall and handsome
Describing the Wabash Cannonball as a powerful and impressive locomotive
And she's known quite well by all
Acknowledging the popularity of the train
She came down from Birmingham
Originating from a specific location
On the Wabash Cannonball
The train that came from Birmingham
Well now listen to the jingle
Invitation to pay attention to the sounds of the train
To the rumble and the roar
Descriptive sounds of the train's movement
As she glides along the woodland
The train's path through nature
Through the hills and by the shore
Describing the terrain around the train track
Hear the mighty rush of the engine
Another reference to the power of the Wabash Cannonball
And the lonesome hoboes call
Reference to the lifestyle of train hopping and the free spirit associated with it
No changes can be taken
The unchanging nature of the train's path
On the Wabash Cannonball
The importance of the train as a consistent mode of transportation
Now here's to daddy Claxton
Switching to a new topic, acknowledging someone named Claxton
May his name forever stand
Honoring Claxton's legacy
He'll always be remembered
Emphasizing the importance of Claxton in people's memories
In the ports throughout the land
Describing the widespread recognition of Claxton in transportation hubs
His earthly race is over
Claxton has passed away
And the curtain round him falls
Metaphorical phrasing for Claxton's death
We'll carry him home to Glory
Refers to burial or funeral traditions
On the Wabash Cannonball
The train will be used for transportation of his remains
Well listen to the jingle
Revisiting the train and the sounds it makes
To the rumble and the roar
Descriptive sounds of the train's movement once again
As she glides along the woodland
Same description of the train's path through nature
Through the hills and by the shore
Same description of the terrain around the train track
Hear the mighty rush of the engine
Same reference to the power of the Wabash Cannonball
And the lonesome hoboes call
Same reference to train hopping lifestyle
No changes can be taken
Reiterating the train's unchanging nature
On the Wabash Cannonball
Same emphasis on the importance of the train
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: A.P. CARTER
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.