Introduction
Think you know country music? You might want to think again. Back in 1974, two of country music’s absolute titans—Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton—were working closely together. They spent countless hours on the road, riding in each other’s tour buses, recording each other’s songs, and sharing massive success. But during those long stretches on tour, Merle developed deep, intense feelings for Dolly.
If that sounds hard to believe, Merle confirmed it himself in his autobiography, detailing the profound crush he developed. One night while performing a two-week engagement at Harrah’s Casino in Reno, Nevada, Merle found himself back in his room, unable to get Dolly out of his head. Fueled by emotion, he wrote two songs in a single night about her: “I’ve Got a Yearning” and “Always Wanting You.”
Around 3:30 AM Nevada time, Merle called Dolly’s home to play the new music for her. The woman who answered the phone hesitated to wake Dolly, explaining that she was fast asleep, buried deep under the covers. Merle persisted, jokingly telling her to go “way down underneath the cover” because he had songs she needed to hear right then. When Dolly finally came to the phone, her warm, infectious nature completely captivated him.
Merle later opened up about this moment during a candid 1998 interview on TNN’s short-lived show Ralph Emery’s On the Record (a rare clip preserved by the YouTube channel Honky Tonk Town). Merle admitted he felt like a schoolboy, saying he could have carved “Merle loves Dolly” on every tree in the country if she had asked him to. He knew a real romantic relationship was impossible; they both had their own paths to follow, but they used their connection as a sounding board to create great art.
In that intimate interview, Merle also spoke movingly about the true woman beneath Dolly’s famous public image. While the public often fixated on the wigs, makeup, and flashy style, Merle saw a rare, genuine beauty that few got to witness over breakfast. Beyond the showbiz facade was an incredible artist with a talent for intimate, one-on-one guitar pulls, capable of pulling out songs she’d written since age five and completely knocking you off your feet.
Merle Haggard turned his unrequited longing into absolute country gold, proving that behind the greatest heartbreaks in music history are deeply real, unforgettable human moments.