A 'traditional country version' of Torn, the final track recorded by the late Dolly Parton, featuring U2, has been released alongside the Irish band's new album, Carnaval De Luz.
The track features on the album, which was released on Friday last (November 13), and sees the late country singer, who passed away earlier this year aged 80, collaborate with U2 frontman, Bono.
A new version of Torn, titled, Torn (Kent Wells Version), was premiered on US country, and takes a more traditional country approach to the tune, offering a nice contrast to U2's atmospheric take on the track for their album.
These two recordings, which you can check out below, provide contrasting settings for the final vocal recording from Parton, as the track tackles familial relationships which have become strained by political divisions.
Check out the two recordings below.
Bono spoke to The Sun about the difference between the two versions of the track.
“We did something similar with Johnny Cash. If you think about Larry’s drum part, it’s more of a sci-fi country landscape", he said. “I think he did her a favour by not doing the obvious but it was risky. If she didn’t run with it — and she’d have no problem telling you — then we’d have lost her".
“But she liked the direction we took it and her camp has a more traditional country version, which they’re going to put out".
It was co written by U2, Parton and Snow Patrol's Johnny McDaid, while Daniel Lanois played pedal steel guitar and Jacknife Lee producing and album version.
Elsewhere, Bono admitted that he can "hardly listen" to the track, as he still feels a strong sense of emotion over Dolly Parton's death.
“What a gift she gave us and what a blessing it felt like... I can hardly listen to that voice now", he said.
The singer also said that the initial theme if Torn was meant to be based on a woman caught between two lovers. But it was later changed to a family who are divided by opposing political views, a familiar theme to Parton.
Bono explained: “We wrote loads of songs that we tried to sell her. But she said, ‘Well, I have a song I started that you may want to take in a different direction and it’s called Torn.’
“Dolly stayed away from politics but she had two brothers that don’t speak to each other", he added. “They’re fighting about politics — and that doesn’t just happen in the red and blue states of America. It happens in the UK, it happens in Ireland, it happens all over the world, where families are at each other’s throats about the right way to go".
