Dolly Parton’s Final Duet With Bono Featured on New U2 Album
Dolly Parton recorded her final vocal performance in Nashville in June before her death from cancer in August at age 80, featured on a new U2 track released on Friday.
The 16th studio album by the Irish rock band, titled “Carnaval de Luz,” concludes with the song “Torn,” a collaboration between Parton and U2 lead singer Bono as reported by CNN.
The track opens with gentle hums from the 11-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter before moving into soft yet powerful vocals about broken family ties. Parton co-wrote the country song with U2 and Irish singer-songwriter Johnny McDaid.
Recording sessions in Nashville
Bono, speaking to Rolling Stone for a September cover story, said that when she got ill, she got out of her bed to sing this song. And you can hear that, and “And I can’t even listen to it now.” “We sent her this couple of — these kind of folk songs we were working on,” Bono said.
Bono played a song called “Lifelong” to her over the phone.
“That’s a little too Irish for me. Just for where my voice is right now.”
She then suggested the track “Torn,” telling the band they could take it wherever they wanted, with Bono adding, “And then she said, ‘You know I got a song called ‘Torn.’ You can take it wherever you want, and maybe I’ll like where you take it.’” Guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist The Edge said that “I think it’s probably the right song to finish ‘Carnaval de Luz,’” he added, proving to be the right choice to close out the album.
Messages shared between artists
An image shared on Instagram in a joint post by Parton’s official account and U2 revealed a message sent by the country music star on June 2.
“Hope you like what I did. I did quite a few things. Take from it what you want and what you need, but I love the song, and I think it could be something really special.”
Dolly wrote to Bono, thanking him for including her in his life and adding that she had always loved him and always will.
The song features lyrics reflecting on difficult choices, with Parton singing about passion, desire, and feeling torn between two paths.
“I can’t deny this passion and desire, but I know it has to burn me,” Parton sings, continuing with “Standing this close to the fire, what am I supposed to do?” and “And how am I supposed to choose? I love ‘em both and I just feel so torn.” The final lyrics of the track, “Every heart is torn,” match the grief expressed by fans worldwide following her death in August.