Dolly Parton has paid tribute to her husband Carl Dean by releasing a new song days after his death.
Dolly has released a new ballad in honour of her husband, who passed away on Monday at 82.
Dolly took to Instagram on Friday to announce the new song, entitled If You Hadn’t Been There.
In the caption of the post, the Jolene hitmaker shared, “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 post also included the artwork for the song, which features a photo of the couple when they were young, with Dolly standing behind her late husband with her arms around his neck.
The emotional track opens with soft piano, acoustic guitar and pedal steel guitar before Dolly sings, “If you hadn’t been there / Where would I be?”
In the second verse, she sings, “If you hadn’t been, well, who would I be? You always see the best of me.”
Elsewhere in the song, Dolly reflects on the “ups and downs (they have) always shared”.
The heartfelt song was released just hours after Dolly thanked her fans for their support following Carl’s death.
“This is a love note to family, friends, and fans. Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl,” Dolly wrote on Instagram on Thursday.
“I can’t reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me. He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you.”
Dolly and Carl married in 1966 after meeting in a launderette in 1964.
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