"Jolene" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Dolly Parton. It was produced by Bob Ferguson and recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 22, 1973, and released on October 15, 1973.
Considered by music critics to be one of the most representative songs of the country genre, the song was ranked number 217 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004 and number 63 on the revised version of the list in 2021. The song was nominated at the Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance twice, in 1975 and again in 1976 for its live recording.
The song was covered in English and Spanish by many artists, including Olivia Newton-John, the White Stripes, Miley Cyrus, Måneskin and Leila Forouhar (1977). A 2016 version by Pentatonix won the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. In 2024, Beyoncé covered the song with significant changes in lyrics and production; her version reached the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart.
Following Parton's death, the song re-entered the music charts. "Jolene"—along with 26 others—broke the record previously held by Nicki Minaj for the most simultaneous tracks in the top 30 on U.S. iTunes.
Background Onstage in 1988, Parton told the audience that "Jolene" was based on a true story, which was why she did not like to sing it too often.YouTube , live January 10, 1988; published January 31, 2011; retrieved May 17, 2020 A red-headed bank clerk used to flirt with her husband, Carl Dean, at his local bank branch when they were newly married, she has said. In an interview, she also revealed that Jolene's name and appearance (red hair, green eyes, and fair skin) are based on those of a young fan who came on stage for her autograph. This fan may have been Juline Whelan, a Canadian who met and got an autograph from Parton at age 10 in 1972; her appearance was as described, and her first name has often been confused with Jolene. Parton sang "Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene" to remember the name, which is how it became the chorus.
The guitar parts on the recording were performed by Chip Young and Wayne Moss. Young played the primary thumb-picked part, with Moss playing the complementary steel-string part that enters on the second refrain. Young got the fingerpicking pattern from a similar pattern played by Joe South.
During an interview on The Bobby Bones Show in 2018, Dolly Parton revealed that she wrote "Jolene" on the same day that she wrote "I Will Always Love You". Parton said in a later interview the songs were written "pretty close at the same time" but not necessarily on the same day.
Content The song tells of the narrator confronting Jolene, a stunningly beautiful woman, who she worries will steal away her lover or husband. Throughout the song, the narrator implores Jolene, "Please don't take him just because you can." The lyrics state the narrator's partner is fixated on Jolene and speaks her name in his sleep, but it is unclear if Jolene actually intends to steal the narrator's lover, an ambiguity that has been addressed in several answer songs.
In 2019, the podcast Dolly Parton's America had an episode addressing the question of whether the narrator's focus on Jolene's beauty and desirability is indicative of her own attraction to Jolene. A musicologist wrote and performed a fourth verse, which makes this interpretation explicit; when the podcast's hosts played audio of this performance for Parton, she responded that this was "another take on it".Dolly Parton's America: The Only One For Me, Jolene , at WNYC; published November 19, 2019; retrieved January 17, 2020
Commercial performance The song became Parton's second solo number-one single on the country charts after being released as a single in January 1974 (prior to the album's release). It reached the top position in February 1974; it was also her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, where it entered the top 60, and a minor adult contemporary chart entry. , the song had sold 935,000 digital copies in the US since it became available for digital download.
The song was released as a single later in the UK, and became Parton's first charting song in the country, reaching number seven in the UK Singles Chart in 1976. The song also re-entered the chart when Parton performed at the Glastonbury festival in 2014. The song had sold 255,300 digital copies in the UK as of January 2017. According to the Official Charts Company, it is Parton's third most-streamed track in the UK with over 209.4 million streams. Interest in the song renewed after Parton's death in 2026, with streams on Spotify increasing by 630 percent worldwide. "Jolene" reached number 9 on the UK singles chart in the following week, along with other songs in Parton's library that recharted. The following week, it climbed to number 6, reaching a new peak. As of August 2026, "Jolene" has amassed 2,127,139 total units in the United Kingdom since 1994.
Legacy The song is considered by music critics to be one of the most expressive songs in the country genre. In 2014, Rolling Stone ranked the song number nine on their 2014 list "100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time". The song was also ranked number 217 on Rolling Stones list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and number 63 on their revised list in 2021. In a 2024 update, Rolling Stone expanded their ranking to the 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time, this time placing "Jolene" at number one. Genius placed the song 38th on their list of the "100 Best Country Songs of All Time Lyrics". Time includes the song on their 2011 list of the "ALL-TIME 100 Best Songs".
Time Out ranked the song at second place on their list of the "35 best country songs of all time". Parade placed the song second on their list of the "101 Best Country Songs of All Time". The Tennessean includes the song on their 2019 list of the "100 best country songs of all time", writing that it "crosses genre and generations, a once-in-a-world song without boundaries". NME includes the song on their 2018 list of "The 25 Best Country Music Songs of All Time". In June 2026, CBS News included the song in its list of the 250 essential American songs of the past 250 years.
In the film The Intervention (Clea Duvall; 2016), Annie (Melanie Lynskey) tells Lola (Alia Shawkat), "Nobody likes a Jolene", after the younger woman stirs up trouble among a group of older couples by making a play for several individuals among them. The song is the basis of Catherynne M. Valente's 2025 short story "When He Calls Your Name", in which Jolene is a vampire.
The song's international popularity became apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the New Zealand government put the country in lockdown. A newspaper summary of "essential things to know" explained that washing one's hands with soap should take "as long as it takes to sing the 'Happy Birthday' song twice or the chorus of Dolly Parton's hit song 'Jolene.'" According to Parton, "Jolene" is her most frequently covered song. Parton sang "Jolene" at her 2022 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Awards "Jolene" was nominated for the Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance twice, in 1975 and 1976. The first nomination was for the original recording, and the second was for a live recording from the TV series In Concert. It did not win either time, but in 2017, a cover by the a cappella group Pentatonix won the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance; this version featured Parton as a guest singer.
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1973–1974)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)99Canada Top Singles (RPM)84Canada Adult Contemporary Songs (RPM)40Canada Country Singles (RPM)1New Zealand (Listener)6South Africa (Springbok Radio)3US Cash Box Top 10080US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)44US Country Songs (Billboard)1 Chart (1976)Peakposition Chart (2026)Peakposition Australia On Replay (ARIA) 2 France (SNEP) 81 Greece International (IFPI) 38 Iceland (Billboard) 23 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 6 Nigeria Airplay (TurnTable) 80 Norway (IFPI Norge) 11 South Africa Airplay (TOSAC) 9 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 4 UK Singles (Official Charts) 6
Year-end charts Chart (1974)PositionUS Hot Country Songs (Billboard)6
Certifications and sales
Olivia Newton-John version
In 1976, Olivia Newton-John recorded a version and released it as the second and final single from her seventh studio album, Come On Over, in selected countries. In Japan, the song peaked at number 11 on the Oricon Singles Chart.
The single was released in Australia in early 1978, peaking at number 29.
The song was a part of the 1982, 40-city Physical Tour set list, then became a popular concert event on HBO in 1983.
In 2022, the song was included on the reissue of Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits, her first greatest hits album.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Newton-John created an in-studio duet with Parton, with the performance captured on video. The duet was released as part of Newton-John's first posthumous album, Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection (Vol. 1).
Track listing "Jolene" – 3:03 "Wrap Me in Your Arms" – 3:03
Charts Weekly charts Chart (1976–1978)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)29
Year-end charts Chart (1978) Position Australia (Kent Music Report) 99
The White Stripes version
"Jolene (Live Under Blackpool Lights)" was released as a live single by American garage rock band the White Stripes on November 15, 2004. Misprinted as November 13 on source. A studio version was previously released as the B-side to "Hello Operator", a single from their 2000 album De Stijl. Another live performance of the song is featured on the 2010 live album Under Great White Northern Lights.
The single reached No. 16 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 12 in Norway, and No. 28 in Flanders. In Australia was ranked No. 10 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004. In 2013, it was voted one of the greatest live covers by readers of Rolling Stone magazine. In 2024, it was ranked the second best cover of the song by Billboard.
Track listing "Jolene (Live Under Blackpool Lights)" "Black Math (Live Under Blackpool Lights)" "Do (Live Under Blackpool Lights)"
Charts Chart (2004–2005)Peakposition
Pentatonix version
In September 2016, the American a cappella group Pentatonix released a cover of the song with Dolly Parton herself as feature artist. The cover won the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
Charts Chart (2016)Peak position Australia (ARIA) 92 New Zealand Heatseekers (Recorded Music NZ) 5
Beyoncé version
American singer Beyoncé recorded a cover of "Jolene", with significant lyrical changes, and included it on her eighth studio album Cowboy Carter, released on March 29, 2024.
At the 2024 People's Choice Country Awards the cover was nominated for The Cover Song of the Year.
Background and release On March 11, 2024, ahead of the release of Cowboy Carter, Dolly Parton revealed in an interview with Knox News that Beyoncé asked to record a cover of the song. After the song's release, Parton praised the cover, writing that "I just heard 'Jolene'. Beyoncé is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it".
Lyrics and production changes The cover of the song features changes in the lyrics and production of the song. Nevertheless, all songwriting credits were given to Parton. On Beyoncé's version, the bridge has additional melodies and includes a choir of voices backing up the singer. Lauren Boisvert of American Songwriter pointed out that although the melody is the same in both the songs, Parton's one is "twangy on the guitar" while Beyoncé's cover "employs a smoother guitar sound backed by a pulsing beat to tie the song into her pop/R&B roots".