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
Why Can't We
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See how the soil supplies what it needs
The rain falls, the sun shines and a flower breaks free
And it all works together, why can't we
And I have seen children at play in the park
Skin shades of ivory, red, yellow and dark
Well, my eyes saw colors their little hearts could not see
Why can't we, why can't we
I can love you and you can love me
Why can't we, why can't we
Set our foolish pride free, just be and let be
Why can't we
I had a dream about a lion and a lamb
They were playing together and there was peace in the land
And swords became plowshares 'cause there were no enemies
And I woke up and wondered, God why can't we
Why can't we, why can't we
I can love you and you can love me
Why can't we, why can't we
Set our foolish pride free, just be and let be
Why can't we
Set our foolish pride free, just be and let be
Why can't we, m-m-m-m
Why can't we
The lyrics to Dolly Parton's song "Why Can't We" carry a powerful message advocating for unity and harmony in the world. The first stanza talks about how nature works together seamlessly, and everything falls into place. The wind spreads the seed, and the soil provides nutrients; the rain helps the plant grow while the sun provides energy. This is a message for us humans: if nature can work together in harmony, why can't we find a way to work together and coexist peacefully, regardless of our differences? The second stanza talks about children playing together regardless of their skin color, and how they do not see any differences because nobody has taught them about any discrimination. The line, "They were playing together, why can't we" is a poignant reminder that we need to be more childlike and look beyond our differences to see the similarities. In the third stanza, Dolly describes a dream she had, where a lion and a lamb were playing together peacefully, and swords turned into plowshares. This is a reference to the biblical prophecy about peace in the end times, where conflict will end, and a time of peace will ensue. In this dream, Dolly wonders why we can't have peace and unity in the world now.
The theme of the song is about acceptance and tolerance. Dolly's lyrics convey the message that people of all backgrounds, races, nationalities, and beliefs should "set our foolish pride free" and just be who we are. The song encourages people to let go of hatred and discrimination and learn to accept each other for who we are. The song has a political message, reminding people that there is a lot of conflict and division in the world, and we need to find ways to work together collaboratively. Overall, the song is a message of hope, suggesting that we can live in harmony if we choose to.
Line by Line Meaning
Look how the wind carries the seed
Observe how the wind effortlessly carries the seed and shares it with the earth
See how the soil supplies what it needs
Notice how the soil effortlessly provides the necessary nourishment to help the seed grow
The rain falls, the sun shines and a flower breaks free
The weather and conditions provide the perfect combination for a flower to fully bloom
And it all works together, why can't we
All these natural elements come together for a common cause, why can't humans achieve the same unity?
And I have seen children at play in the park
I have personally witnessed innocent children playing together in a public space
Skin shades of ivory, red, yellow and dark
These children come in different shades of colors, ranging from very light to very dark
Well, my eyes saw colors their little hearts could not see
I understand that these children are not aware of the various skin colors they come in, and they only see each other as playmates
They were playing together, why can't we
These children have managed to play and have fun with each other seamlessly, so why can't adults do the same?
I had a dream about a lion and a lamb
I had a vision of a predator and prey animal playing together in peace
They were playing together and there was peace in the land
In this vision, the two opposite animals were able to coexist and play peacefully, leading to peace among all the creatures
And swords became plowshares 'cause there were no enemies
The lack of conflict led to a practical shift in weaponry towards tools for farming
And I woke up and wondered, God why can't we
After waking up from this dream, I questioned why humans cannot live in this same peaceful existence with each other
Set our foolish pride free, just be and let be
We should rid ourselves of unnecessary pride and just exist alongside each other without judgement
Why can't we, m-m-m-m
The question remains, why can't humans coexist peacefully like nature's elements, children in a park, and even predator and prey animals?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHUCK CANNON, AUSTIN N CUNNINGHAM, JAMES ALLEN N SHAMBLIN II
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.