Dolly Parton had already chosen the song she wanted to hear at her own funeral years before her death, and surprisingly, it was not one of her many famous hits.

The country music legend died on August 25, 2026, at age 80, leaving behind a catalog filled with songs that have become part of music history. From Jolene and 9 to 5 to I Will Always Love You, Parton wrote and performed some of the most recognizable songs of all time.

It would seem natural for one of those songs to be played at her funeral.

Parton, however, had a different song in mind.

During a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly, she admitted that she expected I Will Always Love You to be played after her death. Whitney Houston’s version of the song had become especially meaningful to her after Houston died in 2012.

Parton recalled watching Houston’s funeral and hearing the song as her coffin was carried away.

“I’m sure they’ll be playing I Will Always Love You when I die,” she said at the time.

But Parton had another song that she personally wanted to hear at her own funeral.

The song was If We Never Meet Again, an old country gospel hymn written by Albert Brumley in the 1940s. The song is also known as If We Never Meet Again (This Side of Heaven) and centers on the hope of meeting loved ones again in heaven.

Parton explained that the song describes a beautiful place where loved ones will reunite and there will be no more separation.

The choice was deeply personal.

“That was my daddy’s favorite,” Parton explained. “We did sing it at his funeral, and I would like it to be sung at mine.”

Her father, Robert Lee Parton, died in 2000. Her mother, Avie Lee Parton, followed in 2003. Her husband, Carl Dean, also died in March 2025.

Although Parton never released a studio recording of If We Never Meet Again, she performed the song live, giving fans a glimpse of why it held such a special place in her heart.

Now that she has passed away, the song carries an even deeper meaning.

Parton’s funeral plans were also personal and simple, according to her family. Her team said she wanted a small private service attended only by close family members. It is not yet known whether a larger public memorial will take place later.

Her nephew Bryan Seaver also revealed one of Parton’s final wishes when he announced her death.

“She wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton,” Seaver shared, explaining that after a lifetime of wearing heavy rhinestones, Parton wanted to be comfortable and finally get some rest.

Seaver later confirmed that Parton would be buried in a cotton dress and her signature high heels.

She will be laid to rest beside Carl Dean at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville, Tennessee.

Parton’s family has also asked fans not to send flowers. Instead, they are encouraging people who want to honor her memory to donate to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

The literacy program was founded in 1995 and has since provided more than 300 million free books to children around the world.

For decades, Dolly Parton gave the world unforgettable songs. But when she imagined her own final goodbye, she chose a much simpler message — one about faith, love and the hope of seeing the people she loved again.

And perhaps that makes If We Never Meet Again the perfect final song for Dolly Parton.