Key Points
- Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” was inspired by a woman who had a crush on the singer’s husband.
- The song title came from a young fan Parton met at a performance.
- “Jolene” became an iconic hit, covered by many artists and praised for its honesty.
It’s been over half a century since Dolly Parton released one of the biggest hits of her career and shot to the top of the country charts.
But back on October 15, 1973, when she released her now-iconic song “Jolene,” Parton had no idea the song would come define her career.
At the time it marked her second solo No. 1 single on the country charts but it would go on to be nominated for multiple Grammy awards and be named the Best Country Song of All Time by Rolling Stone.
On the heartfelt track Parton begs another woman not to steal her man — lyrics she says were inspired by a real-life situation.
Parton, who had recently tied the knot with her husband Carl Dean, says she penned the song after she caught a red-headed bank clerk giving Dean a little too much attention while he was cashing checks.
“She got this terrible crush on my husband. And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention,” Parton recalled in an interview with NPR.
She continued, “It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money.’ So it’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.”
As for why Parton chose the name Jolene, she says that it all had to do with a young fan who was in the crowd at one of her early performances.
“One night, I was on stage, and there was this beautiful little girl — she was probably 8 years old at the time. And she had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me, holding, you know, for an autograph,” Parton explained.
She added, “I said, ‘Well, you’re the prettiest little thing I ever saw. So what is your name?’ And she said, ‘Jolene.’ And I said, ‘Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. Jolene.’ I said, ‘That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I’m going to write a song about that.’”
Since its 1973 release, the song has been covered by dozens of other artists from Beyoncé to Miley Cyrus to the White Stripes.
As for why it’s stood the test of time, Parton says she feels it’s because its lyrics are relatable to so many women.
“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,” told Vulture.
You can listen to “Jolene” below.
