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 Ole 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
In You're Ole Handy Man, Dolly Parton sings about the frustrations of being in a relationship where one partner is reliant on the other for everything. In the song, Parton takes on the role of the caregiver who has to do everything for her partner, from mowing the lawn to running his bathwater. She is tired of being the "ole handy man" and laments that her partner never helps himself or even extends a hand to help her. Parton appears to be at the end of her rope and has decided that she cannot continue being the sole caregiver in the relationship.
The lyrics of You're Ole Handy Man imbue the song with a sense of irony. On the one hand, Parton expresses her frustration at having to do everything for her partner. On the other hand, she declares her love for him, thereby emphasizing the complexity of relationships. In relationships, partners expect certain things from each other, and this expectation may entail doing things that are not easy or enjoyable. The song highlights the significance of communication in relationships; remaining silent and tolerating things that are not okay will ultimately lead to resentment.
Line by Line Meaning
I have to mow the lawn
I am required to mow the lawn, which is one of the many tasks I continuously perform for you without your assistance.
And I have to wash the car
I am also required to wash your car, which like everything else I do for you, is never reciprocated.
And I'd just like to know
I am becoming increasingly curious as to just why you seem to think that I am obligated to do everything for you without any help or sense of gratitude.
Just who you think you are
I am becoming resentful of your constant demands, and I feel as though you believe that I am your personal servant.
I'm gettin' tired of wagging
I am growing weary of carrying that heavy garbage can on my own since you refuse to help with even the smallest of tasks.
That old heavy garbage can
I am referring to the heavy garbage can which is one of the many tasks that I am required to do without your assistance.
Your woman's gettin' tired
I am speaking on behalf of myself as a woman, expressing my dissatisfaction with the present situation.
Of being your ole handy man
I am expressing my frustration at being constantly relied upon as your 'handy man,' with no appreciation for the work I do.
I have to run your water
I am required to fetch and prepare water for you, which is another example of the many tasks that you fail to assist me with.
And I have to wash your back
I am obligated to wash your back during your bath and perform other personal care tasks which you seem to believe is my sole responsibility.
And I have to scrub the tub
I am tasked with cleaning the bathtub after your bath, which is yet another example of the many daily duties that I am required to do for you.
After you have had your bath
I am speaking of the specific time after your bath when I have to clean up, which adds to the many things I am required to do for you.
You're as helpless as a baby
I am referring to the fact that you seem incapable of doing anything for yourself, even basic tasks that every adult should be able to do.
But I love you, understand
Despite my mounting frustration, I still love you, but it is difficult to continue feeling this way when you are so dependent on me for everything.
Your woman's gettin' tired
Once again I am stating that I am tired, as a woman, of being your go-to person for everything.
Of being your ole handy man
I am again expressing my frustration at being reduced to the role of your handy man without any appreciation shown for the work and care that I put in.
Now I know you've got ten fingers
I am acknowledging that you have all your limbs, including ten fingers which you could use to help with the tasks that I am currently performing for you.
But where's your helpin' hand
I am questioning why you refuse to lend a hand and offer assistance for tasks that should not fall on me alone.
I've just made a decision
I have reached the point where I cannot continue to do everything for you without assistance or appreciation, and I have made a decision about what to do next.
I've stood all I'm gonna stand
I am done with being your 'ole handy man,' and I refuse to put up with this anymore.
I do everything for you
I am referencing the fact that at present, I am doing everything for you, which is an unsustainable situation.
You never help yourself
By doing everything for you, I have given you an unspoken permission to continue to sit back and let me do all the work.
An' I think I'd die from shock
I am expressing my disbelief that you would ever help, given the current situation and your lack of participation in everyday tasks.
If you raised a hand to help
I am painting the picture of what it would look like if you ever decided to help even the slightest bit around the house.
Well, I'm not gonna keep it up
I have made my decision, and I refuse to continue doing everything for you without any assistance.
That's what you got planned
I am summarizing that the way that you act, with no apparent concern for what I do for you, seems to be what you have planned.
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.