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
You're the One That Taught Me How to Swing
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was too old-fashioned, too simple and too plain
And so you took this country girl, taught me all about the world
Yes, you're the one that taught me how to swing
I used to never drink or smoke, I'd even blush at dirty jokes
I never wanted to take part in all those worldly games
But you dressed me up in sexy clothes, took me where the swingers go
But you don't want me swingin' now, but you're the one that taught me how
It was you that wanted me to change
I'm only what you made of me - your mistake was changin' me
Yes, you're the one that taught me how to swing
You want me like I was before, but I'm not like that anymore
This plain old simple country girl won't ever be the same
So don't expect me to go back 'cause it's a bit too late for that
An' you're the one that taught me how to swing
But you don't want me swingin' now, but you're the one that taught me how
It was you that wanted me to change
And I'm only what you made of me - your mistake was changin' me
And, you're the one that taught me how to swing
Yes, you're the one that taught me how to swing
Taught me how to swing
In Dolly Parton’s song “You’re the One That Taught Me How to Swing,” she sings about a man who took her out of her comfort zone and introduced her to a new way of living. The lyrics reveal that Dolly was once a simple, old-fashioned country girl who didn’t drink, smoke, or engage in worldly activities. The man in the song, however, taught her how to dress provocatively and take part in swinging culture.
While the man in the song originally wanted Dolly to change, he eventually regrets what he has done. He wants her to be the sweet, innocent girl she once was, but it’s too late for her to go back. The lyrics imply that the man made a mistake by trying to change Dolly, and now she can never be the same.
Overall, “You’re the One That Taught Me How to Swing” is about the empowerment that can come from breaking out of one’s comfort zone, but it also serves as a warning against changing someone else’s personality.
Line by Line Meaning
You were not content with me when I was like I used to be
You were dissatisfied with who I was in the past
I was too old-fashioned, too simple and too plain
You thought I was too traditional, too uncomplicated, too unexciting
And so you took this country girl, taught me all about the world
You introduced me to a whole new world, being a girl from the countryside
Yes, you're the one that taught me how to swing
You taught me how to enjoy a wilder, more adventurous lifestyle
I used to never drink or smoke, I'd even blush at dirty jokes
I was very innocent and naive before we met, never indulging in vices or risque humor
I never wanted to take part in all those worldly games
I was content with a simpler way of life, and didn't have much interest in new experiences
But you dressed me up in sexy clothes, took me where the swingers go
You influenced me to embrace a more hedonic lifestyle, going to places and doing things I would never have done before
Yes, you're the one that taught me how to swing
You showed me how to have fun and be free, even if it meant breaking some of my old ways
But you don't want me swingin' now, but you're the one that taught me how
Now, you're uncomfortable with the person you helped me become, even though it was your own doing
It was you that wanted me to change
You were the one who pushed me to change my ways and become more adventurous
I'm only what you made of me - your mistake was changin' me
I've only become this way because of the influence you've had on me. You made a mistake in wanting me to change into a different person
You want me like I was before, but I'm not like that anymore
You miss the old me, but I've changed so much that I can't go back to the way things were
This plain old simple country girl won't ever be the same
My personality has transformed, and I'm no longer the same girl you met from the countryside
So don't expect me to go back 'cause it's a bit too late for that
It's too late for me to go back to who I was before, and there's no use in trying to change me back
An' you're the one that taught me how to swing
You're the one responsible for my transformation, and it's no use blaming me for the person I've become
Yes, you're the one that taught me how to swing
You were the one who helped me learn to embrace a more adventurous and exciting lifestyle
Contributed by Hunter D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.