Dolly Parton Revealed The Song She Wanted Played At Her Funeral
Long before her death, Dolly Parton had already chosen the song she wanted to hear at her own funeral.
The country music legend revealed her personal choice more than a decade ago, during a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly. Now, following her death at 80, her words have taken on a deeply emotional meaning.
Dolly Had Already Chosen Her Funeral Song
When Dolly was asked what song she wanted played at her funeral, many fans might have expected her iconic hit “I Will Always Love You.”
She acknowledged that the song would probably be played because of its enormous place in music history.
But Dolly had another song in mind for her actual farewell.
She wanted the country-gospel hymn “If We Never Meet Again” to be sung at her funeral.
The Song Had A Deep Family Meaning
Dolly’s choice was not random.
The song had a special place in her family because it was one of her father Lee Parton’s favorite songs.
The family also performed it at his funeral following his death in 2000.
Dolly later explained that she wanted the same song to accompany her own final farewell.
That makes her decision especially touching now.
The song centers on saying goodbye to loved ones while holding onto the hope of meeting again.
Dolly Knew “I Will Always Love You” Would Be There
Dolly also spoke about the emotional connection she had with “I Will Always Love You.”
She wrote the song as a farewell to Porter Wagoner when she left The Porter Wagoner Show.
Whitney Houston later recorded the song for The Bodyguard, turning it into a worldwide phenomenon.
Dolly had heard the song performed at Houston’s funeral in 2012 and remembered how emotional the moment was.
She understood that her most famous song would likely become part of her own farewell.
But her personal choice was the much more intimate family favorite, “If We Never Meet Again.”
Her Funeral Was Planned To Be Private
Dolly’s representatives have confirmed that she requested a small, private funeral for immediate family members.
Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced her death and said Dolly had asked him years earlier to make the announcement when the time came.
That means the public may never see the private farewell she carefully imagined.
But the song she chose tells us something about how Dolly viewed goodbye.
