“Jolene” was Dolly Parton’s second No. 1 single. More than that, though, the title track from her 1974 album went on to be one of her signature songs. In a recent interview, she revealed that the humble nature of the song caused its enduring popularity.
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More than 40 years after its release, “Jolene” is still one of Parton’s most popular songs. She seldom performs live without working the song into her set. In fact, she sang it the last week at the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game halftime show. However, she isn’t the only one to record or perform the track. The list of people who have covered “Jolene” is as eclectic as it is long. Oliva Newton-John, Jack White, Lil Nas X, and many more are on that list. Additionally, it inspired country girl group Chapel Hart to pen a sequel song, “You Can Have Him, Jolene.”
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Recently, Parton sat down with Vulture to look back at her long and iconic career. During the conversation, she talked about what makes “Jolene” a special song.
“With ‘Jolene,’ I remember hearing so many people say, ‘That’s such a humble song. It’s a true song,’” Parton said. “For a woman to say, ‘I can’t compete with you. I’m not as beautiful as you, I’m never going to be that beautiful. Your beauty is beyond compare, but I don’t have all that going for me.’ It was unusual at the time in songwriting,” she added. Parton went on to say that many women have told her how much they relate to the song.
[RELATED: Behind the Song: Dolly Parton, “Jolene”]
More than being relatable, “Jolene” takes a unique approach to the classic cheating song format. Instead of being angry and fighting with or leaving her man, the song’s narrator pleads with his mistress. It’s really about “loving him enough to understand how he would fall in love with someone else because they’re that beautiful,” Parton said.
“People thought it was a very honest, open, and humble kind of song about the subject. Nobody had been writing about affairs from that side of it—to go to the person who was trying to steal your man,” Parton added.
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Over the years, many people have wondered what Jolene could possibly offer that Parton couldn’t. After all, the Tennessee native has been a bombshell since she stepped onto the stage on The Porter Wagoner Show. She addressed that in the interview as well. “Look, there’s always somebody more beautiful than you. There’s always somebody more special than you, and you’re going to always feel a bit threatened and insecure when it comes to someone you love,” she said. “There’s a certain amount of fear that you hope to be able to hang on to them and you don’t want to take anything for granted.”
Parton added that she summed up those complicated feelings with “Jolene.” She added, “It’s a singable song on top of that.”
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for American Greetings
