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 I Ever Needed
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We always end up in the deepest despair
Cause you're so afraid you won't ever have enough
Even though I say it's gonna be there
You may not be good at taking chances
But don't be afraid to win or lose
You don't know who you want to romance with
If you knew what you put me through
You're the only one that I ever needed
You're the only one that I ever cared for
You're the only one that I ever needed
You're the only one that I ever cared for
Everywhere I look, I see you
And I do all I can to keep it that way
But even now when you're trying to believe me
A miracle of tears gets in the way
You may not be good at taking chances
But don't be afraid to win or lose
You don't who you want to romance with
But you wouldn't be feelin' blue
If you knew what you put me through
You're the only one that I ever needed
You're the only one that I ever cared for
You're the only one that I ever needed
You're the only one that I ever cared for
You're the only one that I ever needed
You're the only one that I ever cared for
You're the only one that I ever needed
You're the only one that I ever cared for
You're the only one that I ever needed
You're the only one that I ever cared for
You're the only one that I ever needed
You're the only one that I ever cared for
In this song, Dolly Parton speaks to a lover who seems to be incapable of recognizing the love she has for him. Whenever he talks about love, they end up in despair because he is too afraid he won't have enough, despite her assurances of the contrary. She implores him to take chances and not be afraid of winning or losing, because he doesn't know who he wants to be with romantically, but he wouldn't be feeling blue if he knew what he put her through. She conveys her deep love for him, telling him he's the only one she ever needed and cared for, and everywhere she looks, she sees him.
The lyrics of the song suggest that the recipient of Dolly Parton's affection is insecure and uncertain of himself. Despite this, Dolly continues to encourage and support him, even though it seems like he can't reciprocate the love she feels for him. The song explores themes of love, insecurity, and the struggle to maintain a healthy relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time you talk about your love
Whenever you speak of your love life
We always end up in the deepest despair
Our conversations result in feelings of hopelessness and sadness
Cause you're so afraid you won't ever have enough
You're scared that you'll never find enough love or fulfill your romantic desires
Even though I say it's gonna be there
Despite my reassurances that love will be present in your life
You may not be good at taking chances
You tend to avoid taking risks or making bold moves
But don't be afraid to win or lose
Don't let fear hold you back from experiencing success or failure
You don't know who you want to romance with
You're uncertain about your desired romantic partner
But you wouldn't be feelin' blue
You wouldn't be feeling down
If you knew what you put me through
If you realized the pain and struggles you caused me
Everywhere I look, I see you
Constantly thinking of you and seeing reminders of you everywhere
And I do all I can to keep it that way
Trying my best to maintain thoughts of you and keep you close to my heart
But even now when you're trying to believe me
Even when you attempt to trust me
A miracle of tears gets in the way
Strong emotions cause tears and obstacles in our relationship
You're the only one that I ever needed
You're the sole person I require in my life
You're the only one that I ever cared for
You're the only person I have ever deeply cared about
You're the only one that I ever needed
You alone fulfill all my needs
You're the only one that I ever cared for
There is nobody else who holds as much importance to me as you do
You're the only one that I ever needed
I require only you to be in my life
You're the only one that I ever cared for
You possess a special place within my heart that no one else could ever attain
Contributed by Aaron C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-jr9zd5pq1k
Anyone listening in 2024๐คฉ๐คฉ๐คฉ
โ
@thelmamutandwa4078
Am right here
@mekong7529
"This ol' heart ain't gonna break your heart again".
@zedgamedev
To the person reading this, you have awesome taste in music ๐โญ
@canalprobandoprobando
I know, right?
You too B)
@jeanettepettit8936
Dolly is the best ๐ป๐ผ
@kalilake6764
Dolly is a wonderful person she is the one I look up
@stellaparton390
HELLO THERE THANKS FOR YOUR LIKES AND COMMENTS ON MY PAGE HOPE YOU DONโT STOP SHOWING YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT TOWARDS MY MUSIC I WOULD LIKE TO HONOR YOU BY GIVING YOU MY PRIVATE CELL NUMBER IF THAT IS OK BY YOU ๐ถ๐ต๐ต
@jeffersondavis1236
@@stellaparton390 Never dolly is my angels ๐ผ
@KwakuAmaniampongKyerefo
Dolly Parton is the only one.
Who else agrees?