At the heart of country, storytelling will always be carrying the genre along. Narrative-driven story songs are what make country music so unique and enthralling, outside of instrumentation and composition. And when it comes to the following country music characters, I bet even non-fans of country know who they are and the songs they come from. Let’s take a look.
Jolene from “Jolene” by Dolly Parton (1974)
Is there a more immediately recognizable character than Jolene from Dolly Parton’s legendary 1974 country song? “Jolene” is sung from the perspective of a woman in love with her man. She begs a woman named Jolene to stop tempting her husband and not steal him away. According to Parton, the name “Jolene” came from a young fan, as Parton thought her name was beautiful. But the actual person behind the character of Jolene was sort of rooted in reality, as Parton was thinking of a bank teller who flirted with her husband while writing the song.
Videos by American Songwriter
Earl from “Goodbye Earl” by The Chicks (2000)
Fans of 2000s country pop likely remember this song quite well, as it was quite a hit back in the day. Performed by The Chicks (known as The Dixie Chicks at the time), “Goodbye Earl” spins the tale of a pair of girls, one of whom (Wanda) marries a man named Earl. Earl is abusive, and after she files for divorce, he puts her in the hospital. The remaining pal, Mary Ann, hatches a plan to poison Earl’s black-eyed peas and dump his body in a nearby lake. It’s a very dark song with a comedic edge to it, and that music video is pretty stylistically significant, too.
Pancho and Lefty from “Pancho And Lefty” by Townes Van Zandt (1972)
This one’s a twofer, because you really can’t have Pancho without Lefty. This classic country-folk tune from Townes Van Zandt has been covered countless times by the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson for a reason. It’s a solid ballad about two country music characters who are outlaws, named Pancho and Lefty. One of them betrays the other and regrets it. It’s an amazing tale I won’t spoil if you haven’t heard it, but you need to give it a spin ASAP.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images