Released: October 11, 1971

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

Producer: Bob Ferguson

[Verse 1]
I open up my door to greet the early morning sun
Closing it behind me and away I do run
To the meadow where the meadowlark is singing in the trees
In the meadow, I go walking in the early morning breeze

[Verse 2]
I cup my hands to catch a multi-colored butterfly
Perched upon the petals of a flower growing wild
Freeing it, I watch it as it flies away from me
To visit with the flowers in the early morning breeze

[Chorus]
Rainbow-colored flowers, kissed with early morning sun
The aster and the dahlia and the wild geranium
Drops of morning dew still linger on the iris leaves
In the meadow where I'm walking in the early morning breeze

[Verse 3]
Misty-eyed, I look about the meadow where I stray
For it's there I find the courage to greet the coming day
For there among the flowers, I kneel gently to my knees
To have a word with God in the early morning breeze

[Chorus]
A rainbow-colored meadow, kissed with early morning sun
The aster and the dahlia and the wild geranium
Drops of morning dew still linger on the iris leaves
In the meadow where I'm walking in the early morning breeze

Dolly Parton

Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, author, and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music

Beginning her career as a child performer, Parton issued a few modestly successful singles from 1959 through the mid-1960s, showcasing her distinctive soprano voice. She came to greater prominence in 1967 as a featured performer on singer Porter Wagoner’s weekly television program; their first duet single, a cover of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind”, was a top-ten hit on the country singles charts, and led to several successful albums before they ended their partnership in 1974. Moving towards mainstream pop music, Parton’s 1977 single “Here You Come Again” was a success on both the country and pop charts. A string of pop-country hits followed into the mid-1980s, the most successful being her 1981 hit 9 to 5" (from the film of the same name), and her 1983 duet with Kenny Rogers “Islands in the Stream”, both of which topped the U.S. pop and country singles charts. A pair of albums recorded with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris were among her later successes. In the late 1990s, Parton returned to classic country/bluegrass with a series of acclaimed recordings