“Torn,” the final recording of Dolly Parton‘s extraordinary career, is out now. Parton sings the song, a duet with U2’s Bono, on the band’s Carnaval De Luz record. Parton and U2 wrote “Torn” with Johnny McDaid.

On Parton’s Instagram is a note she wrote to Bono after recording “Torn.”

“Hope you like what I did,” Parton wrote. “I did quite a few things. Take from it what you want and what you need, but I love the song, and I think it could be something really special. Thanks for including me in your life. I’ve always loved you and always will.”

The collaboration came about when Bono asked Parton to sing on an Irish project. She respectfully declined that request, but brought to him “Torn,” a song Bono and McDaid rewrote to make it about a mother watching her family split.

“Torn” says in part, “Torn apart these loving hearts / That beat and break the same / We share a house divided / And the blood that fills our veins / Brothers turn to strangers / And sons deny their name / Somebody loses either way / And every heart is torn.”

What Bono Says About Recording “Torn” With Dolly Parton

Parton passed away on August 25 from cancer. She was already ill when she recorded “Torn,” a heartbreaking final performance from country music’s biggest star.

“When she got ill, she got out of her bed to sing this song,” Bono tells Rolling Stone. “And you can hear that. And I can’t even listen to it now.”

Still, hardly anyone would know that Parton was facing a terminal illness when she sang “Torn,” arguably one of her best vocal performances.

“She sang her heart out, and I cannot believe that’s an 80-year-old woman,” Bono says.

Carnaval de Luz‘s producer, Garret “Jacknife” Lee, adds that Parton “loved” the song’s final mix.

“She was so proud of her vocal and the recording,” he says.

What Happened to Dolly Parton

In typical Parton fashion, she downplayed her personal health struggles. Only a few days before she passed away, the Country Music Hall of Fame member revealed she was dealing with some health issues, although she declined to elaborate.

“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” Parton told People on August 21. “You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health.”

“But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago,” she continued. “I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’! You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the CMA