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
Your Ol' Handy Man
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I have to wash the car
And I'd just like to know
Just who you think you are
I'm gettin' tired of wagging
That old heavy garbage can
Your woman's gettin' tired
I have to run your water
And I have to wash your back
And I have to scrub the tub
After you have had your bath
You're as helpless as a baby
But I love you, understand
I'm just gettin' tired
Of being your ole handy man
Your woman's gettin' tired of being your ole handy man
Now I know you've got ten fingers
But where's your helpin' hand
I've just made a decision
I've stood all I'm gonna stand
Your woman's gettin' tired of being your ole handy man
I do everything for you
You never help yourself
An' I think I'd die from shock
If you raised a hand to help
Well, I'm not gonna keep it up
That's what you got planned
Your woman's gettin' tired of being your ole handy man
Your woman's gettin' tired of being your ole handy man
Now I know you got ten fingers
But where's that helpin' hand
I've just made a decision
I've stood all I'm gonna stand
Your woman's gettin' tired of being your ole handy man
Your woman's gettin' tired of being your ole handy man
The song 'Your Ol' Handy Man', sung by Dolly Parton, is a witty and sarcastic take on gender roles and expectations within a relationship. In the lyrics, the singer (who is a woman) lists out all the chores and tasks she has to do for her partner, which include mowing the lawn, washing the car, running the water, and even washing the partner's back. She expresses frustration at having to do everything for her partner, who is portrayed as being completely helpless, and not doing any work himself.
The singer's frustration reaches a boiling point when she realizes that she is tired of being her partner's "ol' handy man", doing everything for him and not receiving any help in return. She acknowledges that she loves her partner, but she cannot keep doing everything for him. In the chorus, she declares that she has made a decision to stop being her partner's "ol' handy man" and demands that he take responsibility for his own chores and tasks.
Line by Line Meaning
I have to mow the lawn
I am responsible for mowing the lawn which is usually your job
And I have to wash the car
I am responsible for washing the car which is usually your job
And I'd just like to know
I am curious about your attitude towards the current situation
Just who you think you are
I am questioning your behavior and your sense of responsibility in the relationship
I'm gettin' tired of wagging
I'm getting exhausted from dragging around the heavy garbage can alone
That old heavy garbage can
I'm finding it difficult to manage the weight of the full garbage can by myself
Your woman's gettin' tired
I am getting increasingly exhausted and frustrated with your lack of effort
Of being your ole handy man
I am fed up with performing tasks that you should be doing yourself
I have to run your water
I am responsible for ensuring that the water supply is correctly operating
And I have to wash your back
I'm responsible for washing your back which you should be doing on your own
And I have to scrub the tub
I'm responsible for cleaning the bathtub after you have used it
After you have had your bath
I have to clean the bathtub after you have taken your bath and left it dirty
You're as helpless as a baby
You are completely dependent on me to do even the simplest tasks for you
But I love you, understand
Despite my frustration and exhaustion, I still care for you
I'm just gettin' tired
I am increasingly frustrated and exhausted with your behavior
Of being your ole handy man
I am fed up with being the one to always take care of things that you should be doing yourself
Now I know you've got ten fingers
I understand that you have the ability to do things for yourself
But where's your helpin' hand
I'm still not seeing you make any effort to help with the chores and tasks that need to be done
I've just made a decision
I have come to a resolution in response to your inaction and lack of effort
I've stood all I'm gonna stand
I have reached my limit with your behavior
Your woman's gettin' tired
I am growing increasingly frustrated and tired of being the only one taking care of things
Of being your ole handy man
I am fed up with always being the one to take responsibility for everything in this relationship
I do everything for you
I am currently doing all the tasks and chores that you should be doing yourself
You never help yourself
You never make the effort to take care of your own responsibilities and tasks
An' I think I'd die from shock
I would be as surprised as if I had experienced an electric shock if you started helping me
If you raised a hand to help
If you made any effort to help with the chores and tasks that need to be done
Well, I'm not gonna keep it up
I am not going to continue doing all these tasks and chores for you
That's what you got planned
I know that you are not planning on helping me with the chores and tasks that need to be done
Now I know you got ten fingers
I understand that you are physically capable of doing things for yourself
I've just made a decision
I have decided that I can no longer continue living like this
I've stood all I'm gonna stand
I have reached my limit and I am no longer willing to put up with your lack of effort
Your woman's gettin' tired
I am growing increasingly exhausted and frustrated with being the only one who is taking care of things
Of being your ole handy man
I am tired of being the one who is responsible for everything in this relationship
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.