Dolly Parton Hopes They Play Her Dad’s Favorite Song at Her Funeral

Dolly Parton has many beautiful songs that could be played at her funeral. While that’s unfortunate to think about, it’s also a testament to how meaningful and emotional her music is. However, the country singer says she doesn’t want one of her songs to be played at her funeral. She wants her dad’s favorite song, which the two used to sing together. 

Dolly Parton wants ‘If We Never Meet Again’ to be played at her funeral

Parton grew up in the mountains of Tennessee. While Dolly is one of 12 children, she connected with her father over a shared love of music. His favorite song was “If We Never Meet Again”, a country-gospel song written by Albert E. Brumley and recorded by Brown’s Ferry Four in 1946. In a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Parton said it was played at her father’s funeral and would like it played at hers.

“There’s a song called ‘If We Never Meet Again’,” Parton said. “It’s an old country-gospel church song that talks about if we never meet again this side of heaven, I will meet you on that beautiful shore. ‘Where the charming roses bloom forever and where separations come no more.’ That was my daddy’s favorite. We did sing it at his funeral, and I would like it to be sung at mine.”

Dolly Parton thinks they will play one of her famous songs instead

While Dolly Parton has selected the song she wants at her funeral, she isn’t sure if her wishes will be met. The “Jolene” singer believes they will play “I Will Always Love you”. Whitney Houston later popularized the track, and it was played at Houston’s funeral. While it still strikes a cord with her emotionally, she hopes this won’t be the song used at her ceremony. 

“I’m sure they’ll be playing ‘I Will Always Love You’ when I die, just like they did with Whitney Houston,” Parton explained. “When they picked her coffin up and started in on that song, I started to cry, and I thought, ‘Oh my Lord.’ That’s when it hit me that she was really gone.”

Parton included lyrics from ‘If We Never Meet Again’ in another song

Dolly Parton honored her father by playing “If We Never Meet Again” at his funeral, but she also utilized the track in one of her songs. In her 1974 song “Sacred Memories” from Love Is Like a Butterfly”, Parton included the same lyric she mentioned in the interview. 

In “Sacred Memories”, Parton sings: “They were singing Lord I’m coming on when I got saved, And when I got baptized they sang amazing grace, And oh how sweet the sound when everybody would join in, And sang my favorite song if we never meet again, Where the charming roses bloom forever and where separation comes no more, If we never meet again this side of heaven I will meet you on that beautiful shore.”

Christianity has always been important to Parton, and it will most likely be central at her funeral. Hopefully, whoever organizes it, respects her wishes by playing her favorite song.