There’s no question that Dolly Parton is one of country music’s best storytellers ever, especially when it comes to love. Here are a few Parton songs that we think will make you believe in love again, or at least make you want to try to find out if there’s something to it.
“Love Is Like A Butterfly”
This song not only gave Parton a No. 1 hit back in 1974 but was also used as the theme song for her syndicated TV show, Dolly. If you’ve ever been to Dollywood, or you know anything about Parton, you likely know that butterflies have become her thing over the years. In this song, Parton calls love “gentle and rare” in the same way that those mystical insects are.
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“Butterflies don’t sting, they don’t bite, and they are so beautiful,” Parton once shared with W Magazine. “And I just kind of related to them with my own personality. I claimed them as my little symbol.”
“From Here To The Moon And Back” (with Willy Nelson)
Parton has two versions of this song. The first was one she did with Kris Kristofferson for the 2012 film Joyful Noise; the second she did with Willie Nelson.
“I love Willie,” Parton told Uncut Magazine of her friend. “I love that old funky sound he gets on that guitar. But he’s very hard to sing with because of his phrasing. It was like an exercise of some sort, like trying to catch him with all his little phrases and all. But it was a joy, and I’m glad we did it.”
“If You Hadn’t Been There”
Parton wrote this one for her husband, Carl Dean, who passed away in 2025, after nearly 60 years of marriage to the country star. To promote the release of the song, Parton shared a loving tribute on Instagram.
“I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old,” she wrote. “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.”
This song truly showcases how Dean was Parton’s rock and is a testament to the love they shared.
Photo by: Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
