It turns out the song Elvis sang to his soon-to-be ex-wife was I Will Always Love You, which was released as a hit cover by Whitney Houston in 1992.
The lyrics seem quite fitting of their situation of a couple breaking up with a commitment to continuing loving each other.
They open: “If I should stay/I would only be in your way/And so I’ll go, but I know/I’ll think of you each step of the way. And I will always love you/I will always love you.”
Writing previously in The Big Issue’s Letter To My Younger Self, Dolly Parton said: “Priscilla told me later that he sang that song to her when they were coming down the steps of the courthouse after they divorced. That really touched me.”
Being particularly touched by this moment goes back to when Dolly turned down Elvis wanting to sing I Will Always Love You years before; a song The King never recorded.
The 77-year-old singer shared how Elvis’ manager Colonel Tom Parker had quite the demand for the track and Dolly ended up crying herself to sleep. Find out more here.
