By the time Dolly Parton ended her seven-year collaborative relationship with her mentor and business partner Porter Wagoner, she always had a hand in writing a majority of her songs from her earliest days with Uncle Bill Owens and her debut Hello, I’m Dolly through her later collaborations with Wagoner. In 1974, Jolene marked one of the biggest turning points in Parton’s career.
As Parton broke off from being the “girl singer” alongside Wagoner, and pursued her solo career, her skills as a songwriter were crystallized with her 13th album and its perpetual hits “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.”
The remainder of Jolene features more songs written solely by Parton except two, including one penned years earlier by Wagoner.
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[RELATED: 5 Songs You Didn’t Know Dolly Parton Wrote for Other Artists]
Some of the other songs on Jolene, which went to No. 6 on the country chart, may not get the attention of the aforementioned hits but each has its place on Parton’s iconic album. Here’s a ranking of all 10 tracks on Jolene.
10. “River of Happiness”
Written by Dolly Parton
After the more heartrending opening of “Jolene” and “When Someone Wants to Leave,” Parton delivers a more uplifting song about happier days. The lyrics come from a more inspired state, and learning to flow through hardships like a river.
Somewhere a river of happiness flows
We’ll sit on its banks while the warm breezes blow
Somewhere there’s a garden where only love grows
Somewhere a river of happiness flows
Dry your eyes, don’t cry no more
We’ll find a place where there’s laughter and joy
So take my hand and don’t let go
Come with me and together we’ll go
9. “When Someone Wants to Leave”
Written by Dolly Parton
Thematically, “When Someone Wants to Leave” could have been a precursor or consequence to “Jolene.” In the song, Parton talks about wanting someone to stay as much as they are ready to leave: I know you want to leave / As bad as I want you to stay.
When you love somebody
With all your heart and soul
And you want to keep them with you
But you know they want to go
What do you do? What do you say?
When you know they want to leave
As bad as you want them to stay
8. “Living on Memories of You”
Written by Dolly Parton
Not being able to eat or sleep, “Living on Memories of You” is another ballad penetrating the grief of a lost love. The slowed twangy ballad is perfectly paced to the coming to terms with the end of a relationship.
My days are as dark as my nights
And I see no sunshine in sight
Your memory keeps blocking my view
And I’m living on memories of you
Can’t eat when I’m hungry
Can’t sleep when I’m tired
And all of these tears can’t put out this fire
Your memory just won’t turn me loose
And I’m living on memories of you
7. “Randy”
Written by Dolly Parton
It’s not easy following up “I Will Always Love You” on Jolene, but Parton delivers “Randy,” a slow-winding ballad about a love she’s always dreamed of finding.
Randy in your eyes, I see the promise of a future
The promise of a love like I have never known
Randy, cradled in your arms, I feel like I’m in heaven
And heaven knows I’ve needed someone like you for so long
So Randy take me with you, for that’s where I want to be
Teach me how to fly on these new wings you’ve given me
Randy, let me show you what your love has meant to me
Randy, let me be the only one you’ll ever need
6. “Highlight of My Life”
Written by Dolly Parton
Even if Jolene is an album of all the ups and downs of love, “Highlight of My Life” is one of the higher notes on the subject. Parton sings of life before and after finding true love: I was lost before you met me / Without you, I’m empty.
Baby, you’re the greatest part of my life
You should know that you’re the only highlight
And when I’m broke and feeling low, you make me feel invincible
I see you cheering for me from the sideline
I can’t believe that I found you
I can’t picture life without you
This whole world is not made for me
Everything is boring
5. “Early Morning Breeze”
Written by Dolly Parton
“Early Morning Breeze” previously appeared on Parton’s 1971’s Coat of Many Colors and was a sweet reminisce of her younger carefree years walking in rainbow-colored meadows and flowers in the Smoky Mountains.
I open up my door to greet the early morning sun
Closing it behind me and away I do run
To the meadow where the meadow lark is singing in the tree
In the meadow I go walking in the early morning breeze
I cup my hands to catch a multi-colored butterfly
Perched upon the petals of flowers growing wild
Freeing it I watch it as it flies away from me
To visit with the flowers in the early morning breeze
4. “It Must Be You”
Written by Blaise Tosti
Throughout the long and winding road of love songs of heartache within Jolene, the album closes on a song of hope, and love that was always meant to be. Written by Blaise Tosti—who also penned Parton’s “Sweet Summer Lovin'” from her 1979 album Great Balls of Fire—”It Must Be You” talks about the unbreakable bond between two people.
Just like the tide goes with the sea
We belong together, you and me
Just like the dawn followed by day
We’ll always be together
And that’s just how it will stay
It must be you that’s always walking in my dreams
It must be you who’ll always be right next to me
So when you find yourself alone
Just think of me and I’ll be there
Must be you by my side the whole way through
3. “Lonely Comin’ Down”
Written by Porter Wagoner
Another song Parton revisited on Jolene was “Lonely Coming Down,” which she originally recorded on her 1972 tribute album, My Favorite Songwriter, Porter Wagoner. The heartbreaking ballad could have been more in the ranks of “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” and is a last nod to Wagoner and the new chapter in her career.
I woke up this morning in a strange place
I looked into the mirror at a strange face
Then I looked for you, but you could not be found
And then I felt the lonely comin’ down
I walked across the room to the empty bed
Saw the imprint on the pillow where you laid your head
The presence of you still lingered all around
And once again, I felt the lonely comin’ down
2. “Jolene”
Written by Dolly Parton
Parton revealed that the song was inspired by a red-haired bank clerk, Jolene, who flirted with her husband Carl Dean when they were newly married. The lead single from the album, “Jolene” was Partton’s second single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart, following “Joshua” from Coat of Many Arms in 1971.
Jolene would earn Parton a third No. 1 with “I Will Always Love You.”
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I’m beggin’ of you, please don’t take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don’t take him just because you can
Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene
1. “I Will Always Love You”
Written by Dolly Parton
Written by Parton as a farewell to her mentor Porter Wagoner as she broke ties with him and set off on her solo career, “I Will Always Love You” went to No. 1 on the Country chart when released in 1974. Parton later re-recorded the song for the soundtrack of her 1982 film The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, which took it to No. 1 again.
The third time around “I Will Always Love You” turned out to be the biggest charm when Whitney Houston covered the song for the 1992 film The Bodyguard and it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks. Houston’s version became the best-selling single of 1992 and earned her a Grammy for Record of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, and Album Of The Year for The Bodyguard – Original Soundtrack Album.
In 2023, Parton revisited “I Will Always Love You” again on her album Rockstar. At the end of her cover of goddaughter Miley Cyrus‘ 2013 hit “Wrecking Ball,” Parton closes the song gently crooning its iconic chorus.
Bitter-sweet memories
That’s all I’m taking with me
Good-bye, please don’t cry
‘Cause we both know that I’m not
What you need
But I will always love you
I will always love you
And I hope life, will treat you kind
And I hope that you have all
That you ever dreamed of
Oh I do wish you joy
And I wish you happiness
But above all this
I wish you love
I love you
I will always love you
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
