‘Have The Heart’ by Post Malone & Dolly Parton - Lyrics & Meaning

One of the many blockbuster collaborations on Post Malone's debut country album, F-1Trillion, ‘Have The Heart’ finds the bearded crooner joining forces with the unofficial Queen of country music, Dolly Parton, for a bittersweet ode to a failing relationship.

It features an all-star songwriting team that includes Lainey Wilson and Brad Paisley, and appears to have arisen from the same writing session as another F-1Trillion stand-out, ‘Nosedive’.

With the help of a witty piece of wordplay, the two artists muse despairingly about how they want to break-up, but confess they don't have it in them to hurt their respective lovers in this way. Heartwarmingly, Post Malone is a long-standing admirer of Dolly Parton, with the ‘Chemical’ hitmaker wearing a white ‘Dolly Parton Fan Club’ trucker cap during his music video for ‘Guy For That’ with Luke Combs.

Although not officially released until August 16th along with the rest of F-1Trillion, a tantalising, brief clip of ‘Have Your Heart’ from the US album listening parties - which took place on Saturday, August 10 - has been shared on social media.

As was to be expected given the inclusion of Dolly Parton, ‘Have The Heart’ is given a refreshing and unashamedly traditional-leaning arrangement. Post Malone dials back the digitized, reverb-soaked vocal effects he often opts for, instead letting his signature natural vibrato shine and showcasing his stellar, sinuous voice.

It's certainly an unexpected treat getting to hear Post Malone and Dolly Parton's vocals coalescing in this way, with the gentle intricacy of Dolly's voice complementing Posty's weightier rasp. ‘Have The Heart’ is a sweet, endearing link-up that offers a fresh twist on the classic Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton duets of the 1980s.

“Baby, I don't have the heart to break yours

Yeah and trouble rode in on the back of a pale white horse

You're so sweet and trying to leave is like slamming a revolving door

Baby, I don't have the heart to break yours”

‘Have The Heart’ pivots around two torn lovers that know deep down they'd be better apart, but they're both just too darn kind-hearted to be able to break things off for good.

They highlight this through the tongue-in-cheek image of storming out and slamming a revolving door, which just sends them hurtling back into one another's arms.

Posty and Dolly juxtapose the idea that they see themselves as being ‘trouble’, with the way their lovers see them, which is riding in gallantly on the back of a white horse to save them.

They describe one another as ‘sweet’ and emphasise that every time they try to leave, they just find themselves coming right back again. Although they imply that the main reason they can't end things is out of their guilty conscience - because their respective partners are too loving and good-natured - there's also an underlying suggestion that they're both holding onto a lingering feeling of love.

“I should be calling it quits, instead of calling you up

We should be making some plans, instead of making love

We're playing chicken with ‘enough is enough’”

Post Malone takes the helm here, underlining that he knows that he should be breaking up with his lover, utilising a clever transition from “calling it quits” to “calling you up”. This accentuates the push-and-pull between his head and his heart, as does the subsequent line, which contrasts “making some plans” with “making love”. He admits they're both playing chicken, waiting for the other to make the first move.

“Wanna hear somethin’ sexy?

I like the way that my bed is looking over your boots

And them bell-bottoms I wear make walkin' out hard to do

We know well that it ain’t gonna work

Oh, what the hell's one more night gonna hurt?”

Dolly provides a surprisingly raunchy verse here, as she toasts the way her bell-bottoms - presumably a lyric provided by one of the co-writers and Bell Bottom Country hitmaker, Lainey Wilson - fit her snugly, before deciding to give into temptation.

Post Malone hasn't yet discussed the creation of ‘Have The Heart’ at length, but the ‘Chemical’ hitmaker sat down with Anthony Mason for a CBS interview in the lead-up to F-1Trillion's release to share how his favourite country artists - including Dolly Parton - have embraced him, stressing, “Everyone here was so accepting and kind”. When Mason suggested this was a testament to Post Malone's own demeanour, Posty dismissed this, “I disagree. I think it's a testament to them”.

“Baby, I don't have the heart to break yours

Yeah and trouble rode in on the back of a pale white horse

You're so sweet and trying to leave is like slamming a revolving door

Baby, I don't have the heart to break yours

-

I should be calling it quits, instead of calling you up

We should be making some plans, instead of making love

We're playing chicken with ‘enough is enough’

-

Baby, I don't have the heart to break yours

Yeah and trouble rode in on the back of a pale white horse

You're so sweet and trying to leave is like slamming a revolving door

Baby, I don't have the heart to break yours

I don't have the heart

-

Wanna hear somethin’ sexy?

I like the way that my bed is looking over your boots

And them bell-bottoms I wear make walkin' out hard to do

We know well that it ain’t gonna work

Oh, what the hell's one more night gonna hurt?

-

Baby, I don't have the heart to break yours

Yeah and trouble rode in on the back of a pale white horse

You're so sweet and trying to leave is like slamming a revolving door

Baby, I don't have the heart to break yours

To break yours

-

We should saw this love in half on the sawdust floor

Baby, I don't have the heart to break yours

Baby, I don't have the heart to break yours

I just can't do it”

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