‘Cowboy Carter’ collaborator Dolly Parton reacts to Beyoncé’s ‘Jolene’ cover: ‘Wow’
Dolly Parton heard Beyoncé’s remake of her 1973 classic “Jolene,” and she approves.
“Wow, I just heard Jolene,” the country music legend posted on Instagram Friday. “Beyoncé is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it! Love, Dolly P.”
Beyoncé changed many of the lyrics on the track that bridges the gap from “Jolene” to “Becky with the good hair” from Beyoncé’s 2016 hit “Sorry.” In Parton’s version of “Jolene,” she pleads with a rival not to steal her man. However, Yoncé puts her own spin on the song, warning her adversary and affirming the strength of her relationship.
Parton appears twice on Beyoncé’s new album, “Cowboy Carter,” which released Friday. In interlude “Dolly P.” she refers to the singer as “Miss Honey Bey.”
Parton also appears on “Tyrant,” kicking off the track with “time to strike up a match and light up this juke joint.”
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Prior to the release of the album, Parton hinted to Knox News, part of the USA TODAY Network, that Bey might sample or cover the classic.
“Well, I think she has! I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene,’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about that,” Parton said earlier this month during a one-on-one interview about the season opening of her Dollywood theme park.
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How Beyoncé’s ‘Jolene’ lyrics compare to Dolly Parton’s
In the original version, Parton begins by begging: “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene / I’m begging of you please don’t take my man / Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene / Please don’t take him just because you can.”
Beyoncé tweaks the tune, singing: “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene / I’m warnin’ you, don’t come for my man (Jolene) / Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene / Don’t take the chance because you think you can.”
Parton continues to plead throughout the rest of the song with lyrics such as: “Your beauty is beyond compare / With flaming locks of auburn hair / With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green / Your smile is like a breath of spring / Your voice is soft like summer rain / And I cannot compete with you, Jolene.”
Parton’s second verse goes: “He talks about you in his sleep / And there’s nothin’ I can do to keep / From cryin’ when he calls your name, Jolene / And I can easily understand / How you could easily take my man / But you don’t know what he means to me, Jolene.”
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Finally, Parton sings Verse 3: “You could have your choice of men / But I could never love again / 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.”
In her remake, Beyoncé sings about her long relationship with husband Jay-Z and their three children together:
“You’re beautiful, beyond compare / Takes more than beauty and seductive stares / To come between a family and a happy man / Jolene, I’m a woman too / Thе games you play are nothing new / So you don’t want no hеat with me, Jolene / We’ve been deep in love for twenty years / I raised that man, I raised his kids / I know my man better than he knows himself (Yeah, what?) / I can easily understand / Why you’re attracted to my man / But you don’t want this smoke, so shoot your shot with someone else (You heard me).”
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She goes on to kick the fierceness up a notch throughout the song, including in the second chorus: “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene / I’m warnin’ you, woman, find you your own man / Jolene, I know I’m a queen, Jolene / I’m still a Creole banjee bitch from Louisianne (Don’t try me).”
In the bridge, Beyoncé is joined by a choir as she sings about her confidence in her relationship: “Me and my man crossed those valleys / Highs and lows and everything between / Good deeds roll in like tumblin’ weeds / I sleep good, happy / ‘Cause you can’t dig up our planted seeds / I know my man’s gon’ stand by me, breathin’ in my gentle breeze (Ah).”
