About the song
Few songs manage to etch themselves into music history quite like Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” Released in 1973, this haunting country ballad is as powerful today as it was over fifty years ago. With its simple yet gripping storytelling, “Jolene” dives deep into the emotional heart of jealousy, insecurity, and desperate love.
The brilliance of the song lies in its raw vulnerability. Instead of anger or confrontation, Dolly’s narrator pleads with the stunning Jolene — a woman with “flaming locks of auburn hair” and a smile like no other — to not take her man. It’s a bold move for a female artist in the early ’70s to center a song not around triumph, but around fear of loss. And yet, that honesty is what makes “Jolene” timeless.
Musically, the song is deceptively simple. The hypnotic guitar riff, repeating like a pulse, mirrors the growing anxiety in the narrator’s voice. Dolly’s distinctive soprano, both trembling and strong, carries the weight of the lyrics with aching sincerity. The production is sparse, letting the story and emotion do all the heavy lifting.
“Jolene” is more than just a country song. It’s a universal tale of human emotion. We’ve all, at some point, felt the sting of comparison — the fear that someone better, more beautiful, more perfect, could take away what we hold dear. That’s why “Jolene” still resonates with listeners across generations and genres.
Over the decades, countless artists have covered the song — from The White Stripes to Miley Cyrus — each finding new ways to explore its emotional core. Yet, none match the aching purity of Dolly’s original.
“Jolene” is a reminder that vulnerability can be powerful. In asking, not accusing, Dolly gave voice to a different kind of strength — one rooted in honesty, humility, and love. It’s a song that doesn’t just stay with you; it haunts you.
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Lyrics
Jolene (Jolene), Jolene (Jolene), Jolene, Jolene
I’m begging of you, please don’t take my man
Jolene (Jolene), Jolene (Jolene), Jolene, Jolene
Please don’t take him just because you can
Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
Ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
I cannot compete with you, Jolene
He talks about you in his sleep
There’s nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name, Jolene
Jolene (Jolene), Jolene (Jolene), Jolene, Jolene
I’m begging of you, please don’t take my man
Jolene (Jolene), Jolene (Jolene), Jolene, Jolene
Please don’t take him just because you can
Now you could have your choice of men
I could never love again
‘Cause he’s the only one for me, Jolene
I had to have this talk with you
My happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do, Jolene
Jolene (Jolene), Jolene (Jolene), Jolene, Jolene
Oh, I’m begging of you, please don’t take my man
Jolene (Jolene), Jolene (Jolene), Jolene, Jolene
Please don’t take him even though you can
I can easily understand
How you could easily take my man
But you don’t know what he means to me, Jolene
Jolene
Jolene (Jolene)
Jolene
Jolene
