Introduction
What if I told you that Dolly Parton, the radiant queen of country music, once stood trembling in the shadow of another woman? That behind the sparkle of rhinestones and the endless smile, there was a heartbreak so raw that it inspired one of the most unforgettable songs in music history?
That story has a name. And that name is “Jolene.”
Released in 1973, “Jolene” wasn’t just another country ballad. It was a confession. A plea. A cry from one of the strongest women in American music, begging a rival not to steal the man she loved. Can you imagine? Dolly Parton – the woman who would go on to conquer stages, movies, and the world itself – down on her knees, whispering please don’t take him just because you can.
The shock is not just in the lyrics. It’s in the truth. Parton herself admitted the song was born from her real jealousy: not toward a glamorous movie star, but toward a red-haired bank clerk who caught her husband’s eye. That vulnerability, that naked honesty, is why “Jolene” hits harder than any love song or heartbreak ballad of its time. It wasn’t fiction. It was real.
And yet, what makes the story even more explosive is how the song flipped the script. Instead of raging at her man, Dolly put all her fire into confronting the woman – creating one of the most iconic “other woman” anthems in history. The shock? Millions of women saw themselves in Dolly’s pain. Her voice became theirs.
Decades later, “Jolene” still haunts us. Covered by artists from The White Stripes to Miley Cyrus, it remains a hymn of insecurity, power, and survival. But at its heart, it’s the sound of Dolly Parton proving that even legends can bleed.
Because sometimes, the most powerful music doesn’t come from strength. It comes from fear. And Dolly turned her fear into a masterpiece that will never die.
Video
Lyrics
olene (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
