Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You

"Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You" is a country song written by singer-songwriter Pebe Sebert and Hugh Moffatt. It was a number 14 U.S. country hit for Joe Sun in 1978, and a number 86 hit for Brian Collins the same year. It was later covered by Dolly Parton, who took it to the top of the U.S. country singles charts in August 1980.^[1] Parton included her version on her 1980 Dolly, Dolly, Dolly album, and it was released as the album's second single after the success of "Starting Over Again". In 2013, Sebert's daughter, Kesha, released an acoustic cover of the song as part of her extended play Deconstructed. A new version featuring Parton is a track on Kesha's 2017 album Rainbow.

"Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You"
Single by Joe Sun
B-side	"(Home Away From Home) I'll Find It Where I Can"
Released	April 1978
Recorded	February 1978
Studio	LSI Recording Studio, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre	Country
Length	3:12
Label	Ovation
Songwriter(s)	Patricia Rose Sebert, Hugh Moffatt
Producer(s)	Brien Fisher

"Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You"
Single by Dolly Parton
from the album Dolly, Dolly, Dolly
B-side	"I Knew You When"
Released	June 23, 1980
Recorded	1980
Studio	Sound Labs, California
Genre	Country
Length	3:26
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Patricia Rose Sebert, Hugh Moffatt
Producer(s)	Gary Klein
Dolly Parton singles chronology
"Starting Over Again" (1980) "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You" (1980) "9 to 5" (1980)

Content

In the song, the narrator tells their lover not to feel threatened by past affairs for these "old flames" are in the past and disappear from memory because of the current love.

Chart performance

Joe Sun

Chart (1978)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[2]	29
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3]	14

Brian Collins

Chart (1978)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4]	86

Dolly Parton

Chart (1980)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[5]	2
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6]	1