This is not a love song in the conventional sense. Dolly Parton wrote it for a close friend. In 1967, she was invited by the country star Porter Wagoner to co-host his TV show, where they became famous for their duets. In time though, her enormous talent eclipsed that of her mentor, and she moved on to greener pastures. She wrote the song for him to show her appreciation for the time they had worked together.
Leaving Wagoner wasn’t easy as he thought Parton was making a mistake and felt she was being disloyal. Parton played the song to Wagoner the morning after she wrote it as her way of letting him know that her mind was mad up and to express how she felt about him. Apparently, it got the message across: Parton said that Wagoner was in tears when she finished, and he called it “the prettiest song I ever heard.”
This all went down in 1973, and the following year Parton and Wagoner formally announced their split after a 7-year partnership
Lyrics to this Dolly Song
If I should stay
Well, I would only be in your way
And so I’ll go, but yet I know
That I’ll think of you each step of my way
And I will always love you
I will always love you
Bitter-sweet memories
That’s all I have, and all I’m taking with me
Good-bye, oh, please don’t cry
Cause we both know that I’m not
What you need
I will always love you
I will always love you
And I hope life, will treat you kind
And I hope that you have all
That you ever dreamed of
Oh, I do wish you joy
And I wish you happiness
But above all this
I wish you love
I love you, I will always love
(Repeat)
I will always love you
Songwriters: OZCARKCI, GONUL / MENASI, LINET N / PARTON, DOLLY N / YUKSELER, ABDULLAH TURHAN N