Dolly Parton

Released: February 2, 1970

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

[Verse 1]
If you hear me crying in the night
Pretend that you don't hear me it's alright
Don't ask me why I'm crying, please don't make a sound
I don't know why, it's just the way I am
And if you think I act a little strange
And you don't understand when I do things
Like running through the fields while the rain is pouring down
I don't know why, it's just the way I am

[Chorus]
And even though you may not understand me
I hope that you'll accept me like I am
For there are many sides of me, my mind and spirit must be free
And I might smile when other folks would frown
I don't know why, it's just the way I am

[Verse 2]
I might go out chasing butterflies
And if I fail to catch one I might cry
And if you want me you might find me in the meadow walking around
I don't know why, it's just the way I am

I might be home and busy cleaning house
And in the middle of my work I might go out
And go play games with children at the playground
It makes me happy, and that's just the way I am

[Chorus]
And even though you may not understand me
I hope that you'll accept me like I am
For there are childish sides of me
My mind and spirit must be free
I might smile when you think I should frown
I don't know why, it's just the way I am

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

more tracks from the album

The Fairest of Them All

From the albums

The Fairest of Them All (1970)
The Best of Dolly Parton (1970)

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