Why ‘The Last One to Touch Me’ Is So Sentimental to Dolly Parton
Even if Dolly Parton’s husband stays out of the spotlight, this artist mentioned her love for him in “The Last One to Touch Me.” Here’s what we know about this original song by the “I Will Always Love You” singer.
Who is ‘The Last One to Touch Me’ About?
Aside from releasing hits like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” Parton is the country star behind “The Last One to Touch Me.” This track was included in the 1971 album Joshua, earning thousands of Spotify plays.
“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,’” Parton wrote in 2020’s Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics.
She’s credited as the sole songwriter, while Bob Ferguson is listed as the track’s producer. Although it’s not explicitly mentioned in the lyrics, this song holds sentimental value, with this artist mentioning its connection to her husband Carl Dean.
“The longer that Carl and I are together on our journey, the more the lyrics of ‘The Last One to Touch Me’ means to me,” she said to Songteller (via Song Facts). “He is my home and my heart.”
“If there ever was an angel, then surely you must be one,” the lyrics state. “If there ever was a perfect love when I look at you I see one / If there’s heaven on earth, then this must surely be / And I want you to be the last one to touch me.”
Who is Dolly Parton’s husband, Carl Dean?
In addition to being a chart-topping musician, Parton is married to the retired asphalt road-paving businessman Dean. Parton and Dean wed in 1966. Even if Dean prefers life out of the spotlight, the couple has been together for over 50 years, with Parton often expressing her love for her husband — even if some think he doesn’t exist.
“A lot of people have thought that through the years, because he does not want to be in the spotlight at all,” she said in a 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight. “It’s just not who he is. He’s, like, a quiet, reserved person and he figured if he ever got out there in that, he’d never get a minute’s peace and he’s right about that.”
The two never had kids together, with Parton focusing on her music career. In 2023, the singer even released a new version of “Jolene” with Olivia Newton-John, previously appearing on a New Year’s Eve special with goddaughter Miley Cyrus.
‘The Last One to Touch Me’ was recorded by other artists, including Conway Twitty
As noted on Song Facts, Parton is the songwriter behind “The Last One to Touch Me.” However, she wasn’t the first to record it. Earlier in 1971, Porter Wagoner, her duet partner and producer, released it as a single from Simple As I Am.
The same year, country artist Conway Twitty released a version of the same song. This Parton original also became Track 3 on George Jones’ You Gotta Be My Baby. Now, music by Parton is available on most major streaming platforms.
