About The Song
Released in late 1971 as the title track and lead single from Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton’s seventh collaborative studio album The Right Combination • Burning the Midnight Oil, “The Right Combination” arrived on RCA Victor with “The Pain of Loving You” on the B-side. Written by Porter Wagoner and produced by Bob Ferguson at RCA Studio B in Nashville, the three-minute track captured the duo at a point when their partnership had become one of country music’s most reliable hit-making teams. The album itself was issued on January 3, 1972, and reached number six on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, reflecting the steady commercial draw of their joint recordings even as Parton began exploring greater solo independence.
By 1971 Wagoner and Parton had already scored multiple top-ten duets and built a national following through Wagoner’s syndicated television show. Their contrasting vocal styles created a natural chemistry that suited both upbeat story songs and straightforward love ballads. The Right Combination • Burning the Midnight Oil leaned into themes of long-term relationships and commitment, with Wagoner contributing several originals that examined marriage and enduring affection in a direct, unadorned style typical of their joint work.
Wagoner wrote the song as a celebration of finding lasting harmony in love. Ferguson kept the arrangement clean and focused on vocal interplay, using acoustic guitar, steel, and light harmony backing to let the message breathe without elaborate production. The sessions reflected the relaxed yet professional atmosphere that had defined much of their earlier collaborations, allowing the pair to trade verses and blend their voices in a way that felt conversational and sincere.
The single climbed to number fourteen on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1971, spending time in the top twenty and adding to the duo’s tally of consistent radio successes. It also reached number twenty-six on the Cashbox country survey. While it did not match the higher peaks of some of their earlier releases, its steady performance helped drive album sales and reinforced the appeal of their straightforward romantic material during a period when country radio favored honest, relatable storytelling.
In the lyrics the narrators declare that they have found the perfect match in each other. They describe their love as strong and their happiness as lasting, with a firm foundation that time cannot shake. Verses emphasize mutual understanding and the sense that everything falls into place when two people truly connect. Delivered through traded lines and warm harmonies, the song unfolds as an optimistic affirmation of commitment rather than dramatic declaration, fitting the album’s broader concept of exploring mature, enduring relationships.
Contemporary reviews described the track as a somewhat cheesy but heartfelt ballad that highlighted the duo’s vocal chemistry. It stood out amid the album’s mix of upbeat and reflective cuts, offering listeners a clear statement of romantic security. The song later appeared on compilations such as The Best of Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton and resurfaced in live performances, remaining a quiet favorite among fans drawn to the pair’s more positive love songs.
Decades afterward “The Right Combination” serves as a snapshot of the creative and personal dynamic that defined one of country music’s most successful duet partnerships. It illustrated Wagoner’s songwriting contribution to their catalog and captured the honest, unflashy style that helped sustain their popularity through the early 1970s. The track continues to highlight how a simple declaration of lasting love, delivered with genuine warmth, could connect with audiences long after the partnership ended.
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Lyric
I believe we have the right combination
Our love and happiness both seem so strong
I believe we have a firm foundation
That our love can build and last forever onThere’ll be times when you may doubt my reasons
But I know your love will always make a way
And I know that there’ll be times
When we’ll have heartaches
But it won’t worry us cause love is just that wayI believe we have the right combination
Our love and happiness both seem so strong
I believe we have a firm foundation
That our love can build and last forever onSome folks spend a lifetime searching for the right one
And they’ll grasp at anyone of love’s sensations
But you and I will search the most for we have found (yes, we have honey)
You and I have found the right combinationI believe we have the right combination
Our love and happiness both seem so strong
I believe we have a firm foundation
That our love can build and last forever on