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 Only One
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm never gonna break your heart
I know, too late
And I don't wanna break your heart
Guess I had to go away just to find
What I left behind
You're the only one
You're the only oneTake me back
To where we started from
And let's make it now
Like we made it then
This old heart ain't gonna break your heart again
Nights I lay in bed
And your covers wouldn't warm my feet
And morning found me
Bitter or a bit too sweet
Oh baby, I had to go away
Just to run back and say
You're the only one
You're the only one
Take me back
To where we started from
Can we make it now
Like we made it then
This old heart ain't gonna break your heart again
You're the only one darlin'
They'll never be anyone else but you
I love you so much
You are my love, you've become my life
And I never meant to break your heartBut, sometimes, you just got to go away
To find what you left behind
You're the only one
You're the only one
Take me back
To where we started from
Can we make it now
Like we made it then
This old heart ain't gonna break your heart again
You're the only one
You're the only one
You're the only one
The only one
So take me back
To where we started from
You're the only one
The only one
You're the only one
You're the only one
The only one
Take me back
To where we started from
In this song “You’re the Only One,” Dolly Parton sings about realizing that her significant other is the only one who truly matters to her. She admits that she left and had to go through some tough times only to realize that she had left something valuable behind. Dolly regrets leaving but is ready to make things right and go back to where they started. She doesn’t want to break her partner’s heart again and acknowledges that they are the only one who truly matters to her.
The song captures deep emotions, and you can sense the pain that Dolly has gone through. Her admission to making a mistake and hoping to rectify it by going back is relatable to many. Often people have to go through tough times before realizing what they had all along. The song also speaks to the power of love and how it can bring two people back together.
Line by Line Meaning
I found out the hard way
I learned the truth in a difficult and painful way.
And I'm never gonna break your heart
I promise never to hurt or disappoint you.
I know, too late
I am aware of the mistake I have made, though it is already passed.
And I don't wanna break your heart
I have no intention of causing you hurt or pain.
Guess I had to go away just to find
Leaving was necessary for me to discover what was truly important.
What I left behind
The love and security that I had previously taken for granted.
You're the only one
You are the sole person who truly matters to me.
Take me back
I am asking you to accept me once again.
To where we started from
To the place where our love and happiness first began.
And let's make it now
I want to renew our relationship and make it even better than before.
Like we made it then
We can have the same joy and love that we once shared.
This ol' heart ain't gonna break your heart again
I will take care of your heart and not let it suffer any more pain.
Nights I lay in bed
I spent many sleepless nights.
And your covers wouldn't warm my feet
Even though I was in bed, I felt cold and lonely.
And morning found me
Each day I woke up and faced my regret.
Bitter or a bit too sweet
Depending on my mood, I sometimes felt resentful or nostalgic.
Oh baby, I had to go away
I had to leave you, but it was not easy.
Just to run back and say
I returned to confess my love and ask for forgiveness.
You're the only one darlin'
You are the only person I truly love, my darling.
They'll never be anyone else but you
No one else can ever replace you in my heart.
I love you so much
My love for you is deep and sincere.
You are my love, you've become my life
You are not just a part of my life, you are my life.
And I never meant to break your heart
I never intended to cause you pain or heartbreak.
But, sometimes, you just got to go away
Leaving was necessary to understand the value of what was left behind.
You're the only one
You are the only one who truly matters to me.
The only one
No one else compares to you in my heart.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bruce Roberts, Carole Bayer Sager
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@inoxbradford4502
What a bonus the earth still have our dolly simply the best .
@randalladams100
true
@mekong7529
"This ol' heart ain't gonna break your heart again".
@billseka4141
Her most beautiful song in my opinion.
@mr.mhabvane6197
One of ❤
@mbuyisenisibisi7178
We love you mom❤
@melvinelsea5786
No one will ever replace you
@stepney56
Isn't this simply the sweetest song ever.
@H-mu4bo
A most beautiful thing it is. Her second best song behind "Here You Come Again"
@kimberlybush2219
Dolly is beautiful on the inside and on the outside.