Dolly Parton

Released: February 2, 1969

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

[Verse 1]
Mammie delivered me into this world
Mammie watched my mama die at my birth
And Mammie she loved me she took me to raise
Mammie was all I had on this earth

[Verse 2]
Let's get in the firewood, I'd hear Mammie say
Let's go to the spring before it gets dark
And you do up the dishes while the water's still hot
And don't throw that dishwater out in the yard

[Verse 3]
Oh Mammie taught me how to sing a song
She taught me to play her old guitar
And at night before bedtime we'd sing for hours
As the teakettle whistled along on the fire

[Verse 4]
And at night as I laid alone in my bed
I'd hear Mammie praying and each night she said
Oh dear God help me raise her to know right from wrong
And I pray she'll do right even after I'm gone

[Verse 5]
I'd wait until Mammie had fallen asleep
Then out of my window I'd quietly sneak
And I'd wait by the mill pond according to plans
And there in the darkness I'd meet a man

[Verse 6]
Oh it's not that I wanted to bring Mammie shame
I just couldn't control wild blood in my veins
They tell me my mama could not name my dad
So I guess it was natural for me to be bad

[Verse 7]
One night I awoke at the sound of my name
Come quickly, I heard Mammie cry
She said you be good and I told her I would and
That night I watched as my Mammie died

[Verse 8]
All I have now are the memories of Mammie
And the goodness that loving her brought me
Although she is gone in my heart she lives on
And I know how much good she taught me

[Outro]
Ah Mammie, I'm being good Mammie

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 album

The Fairest of Them All (1970)

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MammieDolly Parton

Dolly Parton

The Fairest of Them All