Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton’s ‘When I Get Where I’m Going’ Hits Different After Her Death

Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton's "When I Get Where I'm Going" has always been an emotional song about loss, faith and the hope of seeing loved ones again.

However, after Dolly's death, the beloved duet hits in a way it never could before.

Dolly died Aug. 25 at 80 following a brief battle with cancer, making some of the song's lyrics especially poignant now that her voice is part of the recording's lasting legacy.

Dolly's Voice Hits Differently

"When I Get Where I'm Going" appeared on Paisley's 2005 album Time Well Wasted and became a No. 1 hit. Dolly's harmonies helped make the song one of the most memorable duets of Paisley's career.

Read More: Dolly Parton Turned Childhood Pain Into Music to Heal Others

Written by George Teren and Rivers Rutherford, the song imagines a man's journey into Heaven, where he will leave behind his sins and struggles and find peace.

The song's message is especially powerful now, with Dolly singing about what awaits beyond this life.

The Music Video Featured Lost Loved Ones

The music video adds another emotional layer to the song. Paisley included home videos of his late grandfather, while several other people appeared holding photographs of loved ones they had lost.

John Carter Cash, Michael Reagan, Teresa Earnhardt, and Pixar director John Lasseter are among those featured in the video. Dolly also appears, holding a photograph of her grandfather, the Rev. Jake Owens.

Read More: Dolly Parton Gave Away Millions - See Her Biggest Donations

The video won Video of the Year at the 2006 ACM Awards, while the song also won Vocal Event of the Year at the ceremony. It later won Vocal Event of the Year at the CMA Awards.

With Dolly's voice carrying a song about what comes after this life, "When I Get Where I'm Going" is bound to sound different now.

'When I Get Where I'm Going' Lyrics:

When I get where I'm going
On the far side of the sky.
The first thing that I'm gonna do
Is spread my wings and fly.

I'm gonna land beside a lion,
And run my fingers through his mane.
Or I might find out what it's like
To ride a drop of rain

Yeah, when I get where I'm going,
There'll be only happy tears.
I will shed the sins and struggles,
I have carried all these years.
And I'll leave my heart wide open,
I will love and have no fear.
Yeah, when I get where I'm going,
Don't cry for me down here.

I'm gonna walk with my grand-daddy,
And he'll match me step for step,
And I'll tell him how I missed him,
Every minute since he left.
Then I'll hug his neck.

Yeah, when I get where I'm going,
There'll be only happy tears.
I will shed the sins and struggles,
I have carried all these years.
And I'll leave my heart wide open,
I will love and have no fear.
Yeah, when I get where I'm going,
Don't cry for me down here.

So much pain and so much darkness,
In this world we stumble through.
All these questions, I can't answer,
So much work to do.

But when I get where I'm going,
And I see my Maker's face,
I'll stand forever in the light,
Of His amazing grace.
Yeah, when I get where I'm going,
Oh, when I get where I'm going,
There'll be only happy tears.
Hallelujah!
I will love and have no fear.
When I get where I'm going.
Yeah, when I get where I'm going.

Watch Carrie Underwood's Tribute to Dolly Parton: