Author Description

Jolene Is One Of Dolly Parton's Most Beloved Songs. Released In 1974 As The Title Song Of Dolly's Thirteenth Studio Album, It Is A Cultural Phenomenon. Ostensibly A Cheating Song, Jolene Is Compelling Because Of Its Ambiguity: Who Is Jolene? Is She A Heartless Homewrecker Or An Unwilling Recipient Of Attention From A Guy Who Will Cheat On His Partner? Is Jolene Sung By A Narrator Who Is Weak Or Assertive? What Does Jolene Decide? There Are Multiple Ways To Read Jolene. Hundreds Of Musicians, Artists, Writers, Filmmakers, And Listeners Have Used The Song To Express Their Own Stories, Viewpoints, And Identities. In Dolly Parton's Jolene, I Do A Deep Dive Into The Song: Dolly's Stories About The Song's Origins; Various Ways To Read The Lyrics, Including Queer Readings; And A Detailed Musical Analysis. I Explore Notable Covers Of The Song, Including Olivia Newton-john's Recording And The Duet Version That She And Dolly Recorded. I Then Examine Several Covers Of The Song: By Mindy Smith, The White Stripes, The Congo Cowboys, Lil Nas X, Gloria Ann Taylor, And Chiquis And Becky G. The Book Includes A Look At Answer Songs From Jolene's Perspective. I Give Special Attention To Chapel Hart's Answer Song: You Can Have Him Jolene. Since The Song's Release, Dolly Re-recorded Jolene For Her Album Something Special, Embraced An Orchestral Sound For The Soundtrack For The Film, Dumplin', And Dramatized Jolene In A Television Series. The Book Concludes By Re-examining The Jolene Origin Story From A New Perspective-- Provided By Publisher.