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
We Had It All
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just the way it use to sound through the Georgia pines
You were always there to answer when I'd call
You and me, we had it all
Remember how I use to touch your hair
Reaching for the feeling that was always there
You were the best thing in my life, I can recall
I know that we can never live those times again
But I let my dreams take me back to where we've been
And I stay there with you just as long as I can
Oh it was so good
It was so good
It was so good when you were my man
But I'll never stop believing in your smile
Even though you didn't stay, it was all worth while
You were the best thing in my life I can recall
You and me, we had it all
I know that we could never get that far again
So I let these memories take me on back to where we've been
And I stay there with you just as long as I can
Oh it was so good, it really was
It was so good, oh oh
It was so good when you were my man
You were the best thing in my life I can recall
You and me, we had it all
Dolly Parton's song "We Had It All" is a melancholic melody that transports the listener to a nostalgic past. The song speaks about a relationship that has already ended, and the singer finds solace in reminiscing about the good times they had together. In the first verse of the song, she recalls the serene sound of the wind blowing through the Georgia pines and how she always found comfort in calling her partner, who was always there to answer. They had it all - a love that was unconditional.
The second verse speaks of the simple ways in which the couple expressed their love for each other. The singer remembers how she would often touch her partner's hair, searching for a feeling that was embedded in the memories they shared. She memorized every moment, and her partner was the best thing in her life. The joy of being in love had surrounded them.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "it was so good" several times, like a mantra. Although they can never live those times again, the singer lets her dreams take her back to where they've been, and the feelings of love is still strong. She never stops believing in her partner's smile, despite the fact that he didn't stay, and it was all worth it. They had it all - a love that will always be remembered.
Line by Line Meaning
I can hear the wind a blowin' in my mind
I remember the sound of the wind blowing through the Georgia pines as if it were happening right now in my mind.
Just the way it use to sound through the Georgia pines
The sound of the wind blowing through the Georgia pines is a sound that I'm very familiar with.
You were always there to answer when I'd call
I could always rely on you to be there for me when I needed you.
You and me, we had it all
We had everything we needed when we were together.
Remember how I use to touch your hair
I used to touch your hair all the time because it gave me a good feeling.
Reaching for the feeling that was always there
The feeling of love and comfort was always present between us and I would reach out for it whenever I could.
You were the best thing in my life, I can recall
You were the most important and essential thing in my life and I remember that clearly.
I know that we can never live those times again
I understand that we can never go back to the way things used to be.
But I let my dreams take me back to where we've been
Even though it's not possible to go back in time, I allow myself to dream and reminisce about the past.
And I stay there with you just as long as I can
I hold on to those dreams for as long as I can and imagine that you are still with me.
Oh it was so good
The memories and feelings that I have from that time are incredibly strong and positive.
It was so good
The memories and feelings that I have from that time are incredibly strong and positive.
It was so good when you were my man
My life was amazing when you were by my side and I will always cherish that time.
But I'll never stop believing in your smile
Even though we are no longer together, I will always hold on to the memory of your smile and the happiness it brought me.
Even though you didn't stay, it was all worth while
Even though our time together ended, I don't regret it because the experience was valuable and worthwhile.
I know that we could never get that far again
I understand that we can't recreate what we had in the past and that our time together was unique.
So I let these memories take me on back to where we've been
I use my memories to transport myself back to the time when we were together and happy.
It was so good, it really was
The memories of our time together are incredibly positive and I hold them close to my heart.
It was so good, oh oh
The memories of our time together are incredibly positive and I hold them close to my heart.
You were the best thing in my life I can recall
You were the most important and essential thing in my life and I remember that clearly.
You and me, we had it all
We had everything we needed when we were together.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Donnie Fritts, Troy Harold Seals
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dai cornelius
This was palyed at the funeral of my wife, who passed away just four months from our golden wedding. It still brings tears to my eye whenever I play it. We really did "have it all."
TUGUME EDWIN
Oh.. no.. it was so sad
Marie Ela
Think of it as a happy song, think of your good times xx
Antonio Mora
One of the most beautiful songs ever written. Strong feelings of longing for a past love...a lonely walk at a forest in a autumn afternoon after some rain just before sunset...Tom Jones masters this song.
J cothren
Yes, I have heard the Tom Jones version---It was amazing
M Huey
This song is so heartbreakingly beautiful. Dolly sings it with so much emotion, it almost sounds like she is crying.
Craig Brown
I love how Dolly can turn any written song she sings and makes it as good as it can possibly be, what talent.
Thankyou Dolly.
Colin Watkins
Dolly has an amazing voice and this is one of my all time favorite songs xxx
Joseph Limo
Dolly Parton is a LEGEND for sure. Such people God should give us more of.
Melanie Wilson
She taught me to be the woman I wanted to be. I can express how much her music has gotten me thru