Dolly Parton’s voice lives on in what is being described as her final-ever recording: an emotional duet with U2 frontman Bono on a song titled ‘Torn’.
Released on November 13, the track closes U2’s 16th studio album, Carnaval de Luz, bringing together two iconic voices for a deeply moving performance.
According to Bono, Parton recorded her vocals while she was seriously ill. Speaking to Rolling Stone, he recalled how she got out of bed to sing the song, adding, “And you can hear that. And I can’t even listen to it now.”
The collaboration initially took a different direction. Bono had suggested another song, but Parton felt his early demos were “a little too Irish.” Instead, she suggested her own composition, ‘Torn’.
Originally written about a woman caught between two men, the song was reworked by Bono into something more personal and heartbreaking. The new lyrics explore the pain of a mother watching her family fall apart.
Parton’s unmistakable voice opens the track with a powerful reflection on love, impossible choices and emotional conflict. Bono later joins her for the chorus, creating a moving exchange between the two singers.
Musically, the recording keeps things relatively understated, allowing the vocals to take centre stage. Daniel Lanois contributes pedal steel guitar, while U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. delivers a percussion arrangement inspired by Bob Dylan’s ‘Most of the Time’.
Producer Garret “Jacknife” Lee revealed that Parton was delighted with the finished recording, saying, “She was so proud of her vocal and the recording.”
‘Torn’ stands as a particularly emotional collaboration between two legendary artists, preserving one final recorded
performance from Dolly Parton.