Lyrics to
Second Best

This version of Second Best was released by Dolly Parton in 1972.

Our About Dolly Parton page at Decade Lyrics includes the lyrics for Second Best from 1972 as well as all of the other lyrics from Dolly Parton that we have in our lyrics database.

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(Though I’m only second best you’re still first with me)
I tried to make you love me I’ve done everything I could
I thought if I tried long enough maybe someday that you would
But there was someone else before me and it’s her you’re lovin’ still
And I know no matter what I’d do I’m only second best
Only second best that’s all I will ever be
Even though I’m second best you’re still first with me
And I’ll be loving you when they fall my hand I guess
I love you even though I know I’m only second best

I know you’ve tried to love me and I’d hope you would in time
I know that when you’re holding me it’s her that’s on your mind
Now I know you can’t get over her but I love you nonless
But it makes no difference what I’d do I’m only second best
Only second best…
I love you even though I know I’m only second best

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Dolly Parton has released many songs over the years besides Second Best. Dolly Parton released songs from 1967 to 2005 spanning across albums like Hello, I'm Dolly, Just Because I'm A Woman, My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy, In The Good Old Days, As Long As I Love, The Fairest Of Them All, A Real Live Dolly, Coat Of Many Colors, The Golden Streets Of Glory, Joshua, Touch Your Woman, My Favorite Songwriter: Porter Wagoner, Bubbling Over, My Tennessee Mountain Home, Love Is Like A Butterfly, Jolene, Dolly: The Seeker / We Used To, The Bargain Store, All I Can Do, New Harvest... First Gathering, Here You Come Again, Heartbreaker, Great Balls Of Fire, 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs, Dolly, Dolly, Dolly, Heartbreak Express, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, Burlap & Satin, Rhinestone, The Great Pretender, Real Love, Rainbow, White Limozeen, Home For Christmas, Eagle When She Flies, Straight Talk, Slow Dancing With The Moon, Heartsongs: Live From Home, Something Special, Treasures, Hungry Again, The Grass Is Blue, Precious Memories, Little Sparrow, Halos & Horns, For God And Country, and Those Were The Days. Decade Lyrics has over lyrics & songs by Dolly Parton.

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About Lyrics and Second Best by Dolly Parton

The lyrics for Second Best are defined as the words making up the song released by Dolly Parton in 1972. It also includes the verses and words used by the background chorus in the song. Like many hit songs, the lyrics to Second Best have different meanings to different people. While it is clear in some of the lyrics what the artist is trying to really say, only Dolly Parton and those working with them know all of the meanings behind all of the lyrics to their songs.

Some folks are interested in word and phrase etymology. It is easy to understand the lyrics to Second Best by Dolly Parton if you think through it. The word "lyric" itself derives from the Latin word lyricus, with the actual English word lyrics applied to the definition "words set to music" listed in Stainer and Barrett's 1876 Dictionary of Musical Terms. Continuing the chain, the Latin word lyricus derives from the Greek word λυρικός or lyrikós. This somewhat means "poetry accompanied by the lyre" or "words set to music." You can easily see that by looking at the background of the word lyric, that the "lyrics to Second Best" means the words set to the music of Second Best, or poetry accompanied by the lyre played by Dolly Parton. The singular form "lyric" is still used to mean the complete words to a song. However, the singular form lyric is also commonly used to refer to a specific line (or phrase) within a song's lyrics. Hence, by this analysis of word structure, you could say that the lyric to Second Best and the lyrics to Second Best are both one and the same thing. None of this talk about the word Lyrics is really relevant to fans of Dolly Parton who came here looking just for the lyrics to Second Best, but we feel it is still fun to learn what's behind commonly used words and lyrics in songs.

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