☝️ Key Points
- The song 'Jolene' is a desperate plea from one woman to another woman not to take her man away.
- Jolene is described as extraordinarily beautiful and seductive, which makes the singer feel insecure and jealous.
- The threat of Jolene is so great that even the singer's husband talks about her in his sleep.
- Despite her fear and insecurity, the singer emphasizes how important her husband is to her.
- The song ends with an expression of helplessness and despair, as the singer is aware that the fate of her relationship is in Jolene's hands.
Interpretation
The song lyrics 'Jolene' by
Dolly Parton is a poignant plea from one woman to another woman, referred to as Jolene. The singer begs Jolene not to take her man, even though it's evident that she has the power to do so. 'Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, I'm begging of you please don't take my man'. This displays the desperation and fear of the singer losing her man.
Jolene is described as exceptionally beautiful, with 'flaming locks of auburn hair', 'ivory skin', and 'eyes of emerald green'. Her voice is 'soft like summer rain' and her smile is 'like a breath of spring'. This illustrates why the singer feels inadequate compared to Jolene and why she believes Jolene would be capable of easily taking her man.
The singer describes how even in sleep her man talks about Jolene, further intensifying her fear and jealousy. She admits to understanding why Jolene could take her man, but emphasizes how much her man means to her. 'But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene'.
The song lyrics end with a desperate plea to Jolene not to take her man, even though she can. 'Please don't take him even though you can'. Here, the theme of helplessness and despair is emphasized once again. The singer is aware that the happiness of her relationship lies in Jolene's hands.