This is not a love song in the conventional sense; Parton wrote it for a close friend. In 1967, she was invited by the country star Porter Wagoner to co-host his TV show, where they became famous for their duets. In time though, her enormous talent eclipsed that of her mentor, and she moved on to greener pastures. She wrote the song for him to show her appreciation for the time they had worked together. Leaving Wagoner wasn't easy - he thought Parton was making a mistake and felt she was being disloyal. Parton played the song to Wagoner the morning after she wrote it as her way of letting him know that her mind was made up and to express how she felt about him. Apparently, it got the message across: Parton said that Wagoner was in tears when she finished, and he called it "the prettiest song I ever heard." This all went down in 1973, and the following year Parton and Wagoner formally announced their split after a seven-year partnership. Said Parton: "I wrote that song to say, 'Here's how I feel. I will always love you, but I have to go.'"
This was the second of five consecutive #1 Country hits that Parton had after establishing herself as a solo artist.
Parton later recorded a second version of this song for the 1982 film The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, which she starred in along with Burt Reynolds. The second version not only became a #1 Country hit (like the first version), but also became a crossover hit, reaching #53 on the Hot 100.
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