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Dolly Parton celebrates the 52nd anniversary of her iconic song “Jolene.”
The 79-year-old country icon posted a throwback video of himself performing the song on Instagram on Wednesday, October 15th. 💖 🎶,” she captioned the post. Released in 1973, this hit song is loosely based on a real-life muse.
“Jolene” is loosely modeled on the real redhead who once had an affair with Parton’s late husband Karl Dean in a bank shortly after their marriage. In the song, Dolly begs Jolene, described as a woman of “unparalleled beauty and fiery auburn hair,” not to take her man away because if she loses him, she will “never be able to love again.”
“(The) song is loosely based on a bit of truth,” Parton said during the 2014 Glastonbury Festival, according to The Independent. “I wrote this many years ago when my husband…was spending a little more time with Jolene than I expected.”
“She had a terrible crush on my husband,” Parton told NPR in 2008. “And she was so kind to my husband that he loved going to the bank. It was kind of a joke between us, when I was like, ‘Well, you spend a lot of time in the bank. I don’t think we have that kind of money.'” So it’s a really innocent song, but it sounds like a scary song. ”
As for the real Jolene, Parton got the inspiration for the song’s title from a chance encounter with a young fan at a concert. “One night I was on stage and there was this beautiful little girl, she was probably 8 years old at the time,” Parton told NPR.
“And she had beautiful red hair, beautiful skin, beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me for an autograph,” Parton continued. “I said, ‘So, you’re the cutest girl I’ve ever seen. So what’s your name?’ And she said, ‘Jolene.’ And I said, “Jolene.” Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. ” I said, “That’s pretty.” It sounds like a song. I’m going to write a song about it. ” ”
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“Jolene” was ranked No. 63 on Rolling Stone’s 2024 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, making it a signature song in Parton’s discography and country music canon. The song was her first single and the title track of her 1973 album, and its romantic longing and brutally honest lyrics have resonated with listeners for generations.
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The song has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and has earned her two Grammy nominations for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
The song has been covered in various languages by more than 30 singers over its 52-year history, including The White Stripes, Olivia Newton-John, Miley Cyrus, Maneskin, and more. Beyoncé put her own spin on country classics on her 2024 album Cowboy Carter, and Parton contributed an interlude titled “Dolly P” to the cover.
