Jolene Facts: 8 Things You Might Not Have Known About Dolly Parton's Classic Country Hit
Dolly Parton's 1973 hit "Jolene" is one of the most legendary country songs of all time. Over 50 years after it was first released, it remains as beloved as ever by listeners of all ages. The heartfelt vocals, catchy tune and evocative lyrics that perfectly capture feelings of romantic jealousy and vulnerability ensure that "Jolene" will remain a perennial classic.
While you probably already know that Jolene's beauty is "beyond compare" and that Dolly's begging her "please don't take my man," there are also a number of facts about the country classic that might surprise you. Read on for eight Jolene facts that are just as captivating as Jolene herself.
1. The name Jolene came from a young fan
Part of what makes "Jolene" so addictive is the loveliness of the name. That name came from a surprising source. In an interview, Dolly Parton revealed that it came from a young fan she encountered after a performance early in her career.
As she described, "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. 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.'"
In 2016, a redheaded Canadian woman named Juline Whelan, who met Parton after a show in 1972 when she was 10, claimed that she was the young fan in question.
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2. Jolene's flirtatious ways were inspired by a real woman
While Jolene's name came from a child, the behaviors mentioned in the song are decidedly adult. Parton drew inspiration for Jolene's flirtatiousness from a bank teller who had eyes on the musician's husband, Carl Dean.
Parton recalled, "She got this terrible crush on my husband, and he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. 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.'"
Thankfully, Carl never left Dolly for the real-life "Jolene." They've been happily married since 1966, and as Dolly concluded, "It's really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one."
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3. Dolly encountered the real "Jolene" again decades later
In a 2019 Tonight Show interview, Parton revealed that she had recently encountered the real-life "Jolene," telling Jimmy Fallon, "I did see Jolene not long ago. She's not so hot now." She went on to joke that the beautiful bank teller's red hair had gone gray and her figure wasn't quite what it used to be.
4. Dolly wrote "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" on the same night
In a radio interview, Parton said that she wrote "Jolene" and another one of her classic songs, the gorgeous ballad "I Will Always Love You" on the same night, recalling, "That was a good writing day."
Over the years, this tidbit has been one of the most viral Jolene facts, as it's incredible to think that Parton wrote two iconic songs in one go.
In 2022, Parton cast some doubt on these Jolene facts, admitting, "Well I don’t really know if they were written in the same night. When we found an old tape, they were on the same cassette. That could have been a few days apart. But they also wound up on the same album. They were certainly written within a very short span of time."
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5. There have been a number of response songs
"Jolene" is so popular, it's inspired a number of songs to be written in response from Jolene's point of view. These include Jennifer Nettles' "That Girl," Cam's "Diane," Chapel Hart's "You Can Have Him Jolene," Miranda Lambert's "Geraldene," Kirsty MacColl's "Caroline" and Esmé Patterson’s "Never Chase a Man."
6. There are many "Jolene" covers
"Jolene" is known as Parton's most frequently covered song. It's been covered by Olivia Newton-John, the White Stripes, Pentatonix, Miley Cyrus, the Sisters of Mercy, Lil Nas X and many others.
Most recently, Beyoncé covered the song on her country album Cowboy Carter. Her version makes many changes to the lyrics, turning the originally vulnerable song into a defiant one with new lyrics like "I’m warning you, don’t come for my man."
7. "Jolene" is in the Grammy Hall of Fame
"Jolene" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and was Parton's first song to break through to the Hot 100 chart. The song was also nominated for two Grammy Awards, for both its original and live recordings, and in 2014 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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8. Dolly says the song endures because of its humbleness
Parton thinks that "Jolene" endures because of its vulnerability. In an interview, she said, "With 'Jolene,' I remember hearing so many people say, “That’s such a humble song. It’s a true song.” For a woman to say, I can’t compete with you, I’m not as beautiful as you, I’m never going to be that beautiful, your beauty is beyond compare, but I don’t have all that going for me? It was unusual at the time in songwriting. So many women through the years related to that song, and they’ve told me so."
Clearly, "Jolene" will never get old, and the song will forever be one of Parton's all-time greatest hits.
