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 Used To
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We used to walk through fields of green
We used to sit by clear blue streams
We used to be so happy
Me and you
We used to do such silly things
We used to make love in the rain
Yes, we used to
Then you went away
Leaving me with the memories we made
Memories of those sweet yesterdays
Spent with you (spent with you)
Spent with you
And even though you're gone
I still think so often of you
And the things that we no longer do
Like we used to (we used to)
Oh we used to
We used to be so much in love
We used to kiss and hold and touch
We used to find so many things to do
We used to laugh and plan and dream
We used to own the world it seemed
We used to
Yes, we used to
Then you went away
Leaving me with the memories we made
Memories of those sweet yesterdays
Spent with you (spent with you)
Spent with you
Oh and even though you're gone
I still think so often of you
And the things that we no longer do
Like we used to
Oh we used to
La mmm
Ahh
The lyrics to Dolly Parton's "We Used To" are a reflection on a lost love - a relationship that was once full of joy, laughter and love, but has since ended. The song is a wistful lament to a past that can never be recovered: "We used to walk through fields of green / We used to sit by clear blue streams / We used to be so happy / Me and you." The memories of this love are bittersweet, as the singer recalls the happy times they shared together.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more and more reflective: "And even though you're gone / I still think so often of you / And the things that we no longer do / Like we used to." The memories become almost painful, as the singer is unable to let go of what once was: "We used to be so much in love / We used to kiss and hold and touch / We used to find so many things to do."
There is a sense of longing in the song, as if the singer is trying to make sense of why things ended and wishing they could go back in time to when things were simpler. Ultimately, "We Used To" is a beautiful ode to lost love and the memories that remain long after the relationship has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
We used to walk through fields of green
In the past, we used to traverse lush green meadows, hand in hand
We used to sit by clear blue streams
We used to relax beside crystal-clear streams, under the shade of tall trees
We used to be so happy
Our hearts were once filled with pure and unadulterated joy
Me and you
The two of us, bound by a deep emotional connection
We used to do such silly things
We used to engage in ridiculous and amusing activities, just for fun
We used to make love in the rain
We would express our love physically, even when it was pouring down with rain
We used to
We did it all in the past
Yes, we used to
Definitely, without a doubt, we did all those things before
Then you went away
You left my life, abruptly and without warning
Leaving me with the memories we made
But you left behind memories of the happy times we shared together
Memories of those sweet yesterdays
Memories of a time when everything was so sweet and full of promise
Spent with you (spent with you)
All those wonderful moments were spent together, with you
And even though you're gone
Although you are no longer here with me
I still think so often of you
You are still very much on my mind
And the things that we no longer do
I miss all the things we used to do together, but can no longer do
Like we used to (we used to)
Just like we did all those things in the past, but not anymore
We used to be so much in love
We used to love each other deeply, more than anything else in the world
We used to kiss and hold and touch
We used to share physical affections, kissing, holding hands and embracing each other
We used to find so many things to do
Our lives were once filled with excitement, adventure and new experiences
We used to laugh and plan and dream
We used to share our thoughts and aspirations, laughing while dreaming up future possibilities together
We used to own the world it seemed
It once felt like the world was ours to conquer, full of limitless potential
La mmm
Musical interlude
Ahh
End of the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
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.