Dolly Parton is honoring her late husband, Carl Dean, by pouring her heart in a brand new song.
The song, titled “If You Hadn’t Been There,” dropped on Friday … just days after Dolly announced her longtime partner of more than half a century had passed.
The icon took to Instagram to share the song’s cover art … featuring a vintage photo of Dolly wrapped around Carl, beaming with a huge smile. Below the throwback pic, their signatures appear with the words, “Dolly + Carl = [Love].”
In her caption, Dolly says … “Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23, and like all great love stories, they never end. They live in memory and in song, and I dedicate this to him.”
The touching track leads off with some emotional lyrics … “If you hadn’t been there / Where would I be? / Without your trust / Love and belief / The ups and downs / We’ve always shared / And I wouldn’t be here / If you hadn’t been there.”
Parton continues to reflect on her lifelong love, singing, “You always see the best in me / Your loving arms have cradled me,” and “You made me dream / More than I dared.”
This isn’t the first song Dolly has written for Carl — her 2012 track, “From Here to the Moon and Back” was also dedicated to him.
Dolly didn’t reveal a cause of death when announcing Carl’s passing, but it’s worth noting he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2019. Parton says her late husband will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending.
For now, Dolly is paying homage to him in the best way she knows how — through song.
