U2, Dolly Parton and the Last Vocal on “Torn”
U2 closes albums with country legends. Dolly Parton's "final vocal" on Carnaval De Luz's "Torn" echoes Johnny Cash's lead on Zooropa's "The Wanderer," pushing both into new musical territory.
Tracklist
- Torn (feat. Dolly Parton) — U2
- The Wanderer (feat. Johnny Cash) — U2
Transcript
Torn (feat. Dolly Parton) — U2
U2 had another folk song in mind for Dolly Parton. Bono called “Lifelong” a “slightly dizzy, drunken marriage song”; Stereogum’s Margaret Farrell says it was “a little too Irish” for her. Parton offered the beginnings of “Torn” instead and gave U2 room to develop it. The Edge said she was game for their “sci-fi country” journey. Parton co-wrote the song with U2 and Johnny McDaid, then recorded in Nashville in June 2026. U2 put the duet last on Carnaval De Luz. The band identifies it as Parton’s final recorded vocal performance. Hear Torn (feat. Dolly Parton) by U2.
The Wanderer (feat. Johnny Cash) — U2
Years before Dolly Parton’s duet closed U2’s Carnaval De Luz, Johnny Cash sang lead on “The Wanderer,” the last song on U2’s Zooropa. Bono said U2 wrote it for Cash and persuaded him to come sing it. Songfacts says they started writing after learning Cash was coming to Dublin for a show, then kept the song for their album with Cash as guest. Music writer Jim Connelly remembers finding Cash’s lead strange in 1993; later, he came to hear it as Cash venturing beyond his usual musical territory. What changes when Cash takes the lead instead of sharing a duet? Hear The Wanderer (feat. Johnny Cash) by U2.