Dolly Parton has had a tough year. She delayed her Vegas residency due to some health struggles, and her husband Carl Dean died on March 3. He was 82 years old.
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"I really feel his presence," she said at the time. "I just try to go on, because I know I have to. And he was ill for quite a while, and part of me was at peace that he was at peace and not suffering anymore. But that still doesn't make up for the loss and the loneliness of it."
It's through that lens of loss that she's able to listen to her recent collaboration with Zac Brown in a new way.
"Butterfly" Was Written With Zac Brown's Kids in Mind
In their conversation for Interview Magazine, Parton and Brown discussed the song "Butterfly." Brown told Parton he knows the duet reflects her own journey, but explained the song was originally inspired by his own children.
"They're kind of in a bubble when they're at home, and they don't really know what real struggle looks like yet, but it's coming as they're hopping out of the nest, one after the other," he said. "But I wanted something that put some hope into the world and gave people a little bit of guidance to just hold on until those storms pass."
Dolly Parton Says "Butterfly" Applies to "Whatever You Are Going Through"
Parton added to Brown's comments, saying that "it took on a new meaning" after losing Dean.
"It means something different to me listening to it through a lot of my heartaches and struggles," she said. "You can apply it to whatever you are going through, just to say there is hope, and just get out there and fly. For myself, I go through a lot, but I was born with a happy heart. I want to be happy. I work at being happy like some people work at being sad."
Back in October, we reported that Brown found working with Parton on "Butterfly" to be a "dream."
"She is such an incredible (person)," he added. "There will never be another Dolly. The most published, most brilliant female writer ever."
You can watch the video for "Butterfly" below.
