The Last One To Touch Me

Album: Joshua (1971)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this tender country ballad, Dolly Parton imagines the rare kind of love that will endure a lifetime and beyond. "As far as I'm concerned, 'The Last One to Touch Me' speaks to everyone who's truly in love, who is really there 'til death do us part,'" she explained in her 2020 book, Songteller. "When I wrote it, I thought it spoke of true love that you want to last a lifetime. And true love that you hope will last even longer, that you'll meet and be together if there is such a thing as an afterlife. It's a wish to have a love that's that strong."
  • When Dolly recorded this in February 1971, she was just a couple months shy from celebrating her fifth wedding anniversary with Carl Dean. Now, after more than 50 years of marriage, the song makes her emotional because it depicts the kind of love they share. "The longer that Carl and I are together on our journey, the more the lyrics of 'The Last One to Touch Me' mean to me," she noted in Songteller. "He is my home and my heart."

    Dolly and Carl were together until death did they part - in 2025 Carl passed away at 82. Dolly released the song "If You Hadn't Been There" in his honor soon after.
  • This is featured on Dolly's seventh solo album, Joshua, whose title track earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
  • Although she wrote it, she wasn't the first to record it. Earlier in 1971, Porter Wagoner, her duet partner and producer, released it as a single from his album Simple As I Am. His version peaked at #18 on the Country chart (Dolly's didn't get a single release). With Joshua, Dolly was finally starting to achieve commercial success outside of her partnership with Wagoner, which would end by the mid-'70s.
  • This has also been covered by Conway Twitty, Kitty Wells, Nat Stuckey, and George Jones.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Bob Daisley

Bob DaisleySongwriter Interviews

Bob was the bass player and lyricist for the first two Ozzy Osbourne albums. Here's how he wrote songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" with Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.

Linda Perry

Linda PerrySongwriter Interviews

Songwriting Hall of Famer Linda Perry talks about her songs "What's Up" and "Beautiful," her songwriting process, and her move into film music.

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock Photography

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock PhotographySong Writing

One of rock's top photographers talks about artistry in photography, raising funds for a documentary, and enjoying a County Fair with Tom Waits.

Boy Bands

Boy BandsFact or Fiction

From NKOTB to 1D, how well do you know your boy bands?