46 Meanings
Add Yours
Share
Q&A

Jolene Lyrics

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

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

He talks about you in his sleep
There's nothing I can do to keep
From crying 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

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

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

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him even though you can
Jolene, Jolene
Song Info
Copyright
Lyrics © Sony/atv Music Publishing Llc
Writer
Dolly Parton
Duration
3:12
Submitted by
moondragon On Jan 11, 2002
Questions and Answers

Ask specific questions and get answers to unlock more indepth meanings & facts.

46 Meanings

Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.

Cover art for Jolene lyrics by Dolly Parton

I just recently heard this song for the first time and it brought me to tears. I could not believe the words - they were the story of my life. I spent 14 years with my husband and we had finally had our first child, I was happier than I had been in my entire life. Then came this other woman who made the choice to cheat on her husband with a married man (my husband). They had this affair and I caught him cheating on me and our baby was just turning one. When I confronted him, he told me that he was leaving for this other woman that he fell in love with. I begged him to end it and work on our marriage with counseling, I loved him with everything I had. I went to the woman and begged her to leave my husband alone that she could have any other single man but to please leave my husband alone. I couldn't imagine life without him. She told me that she was sorry but she loved my husband and I couldn't stop this from happening. I was devastated, but I picked up the pieces of my life and moved on. Now looking back - how stupid I was to beg him to be with me, I am thankful that she took that cheat out of my life. I met a wonderful man and I couldn't be happier. Her on the other hand is living the life of hell, he has already been caught cheating on her. Karma!!!

@Thankful The anguish of the song is when she says "just because you can," because he is already gone and she cannot face it until her soul grows. My old Aunt spent he life in Eloise after her husband left her like that. And yes, those who do not love honestly cannot eve trust in love, and loves that start in affairs can never have the trust required to be entrusted with the heart and sometimes soul of another. One difference in your case is at least they thought it was love, and so are less responsible, whereas Joline does...

@Thankful Oh yea, and, it is not a deficiency that she can never love again- that is true love. True love is for the one beloved, while the appetite is for many, but love cannot obligate love in return. But infidelity means they do not love you- that's why it hurts so badly.

Cover art for Jolene lyrics by Dolly Parton

A wildly insecure song. The speaker feels that this is her one and only shot at happiness in life, so she pleads with who she feels to be the better woman to not ruin it for her. Jolene could find happiness with lots of other guys, but the speaker doesn't feel that she herself could do the same.

Dolly's voice is so beautiful. I don't think it's possible for anybody to do a cover of one of her songs that's better than the original(and that's including Whitney's butching of "I Will Always Love You").

@bokononist Agreed with this. And remember that this isn't about whether or not the guy would stray - it's about her fear. Even if he loves her with every bit of his heart, she's still going to worry. Insecurity is insidious that way.

Cover art for Jolene lyrics by Dolly Parton

Wait a minute..no1 can be taken if they aren't willing to leave..why wood she feel happy if he onnly stayed with ehr because jolene didn't want him..?..maybe because losin him wood be worse than the feelin he was only with her for tht reason

Cover art for Jolene lyrics by Dolly Parton

When you are in love, you will take alot of crap. You have this mind set you won't be happy without him, so you don't care how you get him, as long as you still do have him. It wasn't over another girl, but I just recently experienced that. This it seems is written while the mind is not yet over him. The White Stripes do a interesting cover!

Cover art for Jolene lyrics by Dolly Parton

I love this song, I had a personal experience like the song tells, and this song helped me get out of it. I dumped him :)

Cover art for Jolene lyrics by Dolly Parton

Beautiful sad song – love that White Stripes version. If I were the narrator, or a woman for that matter, I’d punch Jolene in the face, knock her down, then stand on her face with my high heels right.. .. .. right!

Cover art for Jolene lyrics by Dolly Parton

is it right for her to fight for her man? I have been in a situation similar to this.. and even though I knew that I shouldn't be pushing for someone who loved someone else, I still loved them and did it anyway. should people do this? anyone's opinon would be great..

Cover art for Jolene lyrics by Dolly Parton

The meaning is obvious, but how she came to write the song is very interesting. She was playing a gig and saw a beautiful little girl, about nine, fitting the Jolene physical description and the girl later told her that she'd never seen her father. There's this theory that a lot of women who steal people's boyfriends tend to not have had a father figure in their lives and so Dolly wrote this song with her in mind.

Cover art for Jolene lyrics by Dolly Parton

This is about feeling you've got nothing to offer, just simply begging to someone else not to destroy your happiness, even though they have the chance to do so. "I cannot compete with you Jolene"

A typical girl-song, since so many girl feel ugly, and like they are worth nothing in comparison with other girls.

Cover art for Jolene lyrics by Dolly Parton

The White Stripes made it sound more... emotionally. I did not like how she sung it. But, jack, oh what you can do to a person. This is the first song I have ever cried over...