A VOICE FROM HEAVEN: The Parton and Kristofferson Families Unveil a Lost Duet Between Dolly Parton and Kris Kristofferson — A Song That Feels Like Time Standing Still
Every once in a while, the past reaches out through melody — and when it does, it reminds us why country music was always about truth. This week, the Parton and Kristofferson families revealed one of those rare treasures: a newly unearthed duet between Dolly Parton and Kris Kristofferson, recorded more than four decades ago and thought to have been lost forever.
The song, “Put It Off Until Tomorrow,” was first written in the 1960s — a ballad steeped in longing, regret, and the quiet ache of love left waiting too long. But in this long-hidden version, Dolly and Kris breathe something eternal into it. Her voice, young yet already full of wisdom, carries a fragile tenderness that only she could summon. His voice, deep and rugged like the Tennessee hills, answers her with the weary grace of a man who’s seen too much but still believes in love.
Together, they sound like two sides of the same soul — one reaching forward, one looking back. The harmony is raw and hauntingly pure, untouched by the polish of modern production. You can almost hear the hum of the old studio tape, the faint echo of laughter between takes, the feeling of two friends caught in a moment that would somehow outlast them both.
“When we found it,” shared a member of the Parton family, “it was like opening a time capsule. The tape was dusty, fragile, but when that first note played… everyone in the room went silent. You could feel them in the air — the friendship, the honesty, the life they poured into every word.”
For both families, this release isn’t just a discovery — it’s a reunion. Dolly and Kris were more than collaborators; they were kindred spirits, bound by poetry, faith, and a love of songs that told the truth. To hear them together again is to be reminded of a time when country music wasn’t about charts or image — it was about storytelling, about the beauty of human imperfection.
Fans who’ve heard the restored track describe it as “spiritual,” “achingly real,” and “like time standing still.” On social media, one listener wrote, “It’s like hearing ghosts sing about the things we still feel — love, loss, and the hope that never quite dies.”
As the song fades into its final refrain — Dolly’s silvery whisper entwined with Kris’s gravel-worn reply — it’s hard not to feel that the two voices are still out there somewhere, echoing through eternity.
“Put It Off Until Tomorrow” is no longer just an old country ballad — it’s a message carried across time, from two legends who gave their hearts to the music and left a piece of their souls behind for us to find.
Because some songs don’t end when the music stops.
They just wait — quietly, patiently — for someone to listen again.