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'If You Hadn't Been There' delves into the themes of unwavering support and shared dreams. Picture: Screengrab
Country music icon Dolly Parton has released a touching new single titled If You Hadn’t Been There, dedicated to her late husband, Carl Dean. The song reflects on their enduring 60-year marriage and the profound impact Dean had on Parton’s life and career.
“I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18. We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together. Like all great love stories, they never end. They live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him,” she wrote in a Facebook post accompanying the song’s release.
Dean passed away on 3 March at the age of 82 in Nashville. In keeping with his wishes, he will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending.
In a 2022 interview with ET Canada, Parton explained that her long, happy marriage to Dean wouldn’t have been possible if they didn’t have a unique, “warped” sense of humour to get them through difficult times.
“We both have a warped sense of humour. And I think humour, honestly, is one of the best things when you’re married like that,” she said. “Even if you have a problem, if you have a great sense of humour, if you say something you can’t take back [you] usually have some crazy way of getting out of it.”
She added that they were not always in each other’s faces. “He’s not in the business, so we have different interests. Yet we have the things we love to do together. So, it was meant to be, I think. He was the one I was supposed to have and vice versa.”
If You Hadn’t Been There delves into the themes of unwavering support and shared dreams. The lyrics express gratitude for Dean’s belief in Parton’s aspirations, with lines like, “Without your trust, love, and belief, the ups and downs we’ve always shared, I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t been there.”
NOW READ: The private passing of Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s devoted husband
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