Jolene (song)
October 1973
Jolene is the title of the best-known and most successful songs of the American country singer Dolly Parton. The text deals with the request of a woman at a rival, not to take her to the man. This song was released in October 1973 in advance as a single and in February 1974 on the eponymous album, which also includes the original version of the later by Whitney Houston released a successful cover version song I Will Always Love You is included.
Dolly Parton Jolene reached with placements in addition to the general singles chart and number-one success in the country charts in the U.S. and Canada also positions in the charts of several European countries. In addition, they received two Grammy Awards for the song. On the published by Rolling Stone magazine in 2004 list The 500 best songs of all time took the song from which, among other things, the bands Strawberry Switchblade and The White Stripes cover versions published, the 217th place.
Words and Music
The lyrics of the song Jolene describes from the perspective of the singer 's desperate, but gracefully put forward request to another woman named Jolene, do not take away ("[ ... ] the man I'm begging of you please do not take my man [... ] "). It refers to their incomparable beauty ("[ ... ] Your beauty is beyond compare [ ... ]"), wordy describes in the form of lyrical Compare the color of the hair, the skin and the eyes and the smile and the voice of Jolene, and confesses one that they themselves can not compete with her ("[ ... ] And I can not compete with you, Jolene [ ... ]"). In addition, she represents what her husband means to them ("[ ... ] But i could never love again, he's the only one for me, Jolene [ ... ]"), and end up making the song their further fate of Jolene's decision dependent ("[ ... ] My happiness depends on you, and whatever you decide to do, Jolene [ ... ]").
The name Jolene is in the song called many times, either in quadruplicate to the direct address or at the end of a sentence. Finally, it remains open how to Jolene behaves and thus take what further course of life and the relationship of the protagonist. The song can be assigned within the country music tradition of cheatin ' songs that adultery and similar topics to the content. Although the piece as such was a new composition by Parton. Melody and song structure, however, were based heavily on the classic folk ballad - especially bluegrass music, a traditional, certain of acoustic instruments such as the banjo, mandolin and fiddle direction of country music, which was widespread in Parton's home state of Tennessee.
Genesis
According to Dolly Parton, she was inspired to the song, when she realized that her husband was an attractive co-worker of his bank and therefore obviously went to the bank more often than necessary. The title she chose, after she was asked to come to a concert of a girl for an autograph and her well-liked the name of the girl, Jolene. Recorded the song was on May 22, 1973 at RCA Studio B, the Radio Corporation of America in Nashville.
Chart positions
In the United States, Dolly Parton was represented a total of eight weeks with Jolene in 1974 on the Billboard Hot 100, the best finish during that time was ranked 60 on 2 March 1974. In the Billboard Hot Country Singles title reached on 2 February 1974 1st Place in Canada took Jolene on March 2, 1974 number 84 in the RPM Top Singles of the music magazine RPM, in which the song could place a total of six weeks. In the published RPM Country Singles Charts it reached on February 16, 1974 as the U.S. space 1
The song was also represented in various European countries in the charts. So the title took on the UK Singles Chart, where he was represented in 1976 for twelve weeks, on July 19, 1976 in seventh place. In Ireland, the song reached in the same year in six weeks chart position as the best position to eighth place in the Irish Singles Charts. In Sweden, Jolene was represented in 2008 for three weeks in the charts for a year, with rank 16 on 19 June 2008 as the best position in Denmark took the song on 26 March 2010 to 19th place as the highest position in two weeks chart position.
Awards
Jolene was nominated in the U.S. in 1975 in the original version and 1976 in a live recording each for a Grammy Award in the category " Best Female Country Vocal Performance." The collecting society BMI awarded the title in 1974 in the categories of " pop" and "Country " received a BMI Award and in 1990 a Million- Air Award for more than a million broadcasts on the radio. From the Nashville Songwriters Association International Dolly Parton received a songwriter Achievement Award for Jolene both 1974 and 1975. In the UK, the title awarded in 1976 with the " Country Music Award" in the category " Single of the Year". In 2004 the music magazine Rolling Stone chose the song on his list ranking 217 The 500 best songs of all time.
Cover versions
From Jolene published cover versions of various musicians from different musical genres. In 1976 published the Anglo- Australian singer Olivia Newton-John own version of the song, more versions appeared, among others in 1977 by the Iranian singer Leila Forouhar, 1985 by the Scottish indie pop band Strawberry Switchblade, 2001 by the Australian singer Sherrié Austin, 2004 by the American garage rock band The White Stripes, 2006 by the American punk rock band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes and 2008 by the British singer Sophie Ellis -Bextor as part of the soundtrack for the British television series Beautiful People. In the UK Singles Charts, the Strawberry Switchblade version on October 5, 1985 reached the 53rd place and the White Stripes version on 27 November 2004, a live recording of the 16th Place. The British band The Sisters of Mercy Jolene played alongside cover versions of some other songs that also did not fit with their gothic rock alignment, often during their concerts.
The total number of so far recorded cover versions can be estimated, globally it is expected to be in three to four digits only. The portal coverinfo.de lists with nearly three dozen entries on the most famous. Apple's iTunes Music Store offered in the spring of 2013 several hundred versions, among which, however, were numerous duplications. Stylistically, the spectrum rehearsed cover versions of Psychobilly ( The Dead Billys ) on classic country ( Mindy Smith, Jill Johnson) and bluegrass ( Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent ), to electronic music ( Becky Brown). Besides well-known and numerous lesser-known artists and bands recorded the piece in their repertoire - for example, the Polish indie rock musician Piotr Lisiecki, the German street folk duo Gee Gee & Soluna, Düsseldorf folk punk band Beatlesøns and as a side- project of the actress Jasmin Tabatabai active 1990s - woman country band Even Cowgirls Get The Blues. Another rehearsed by a German actress Heike Makatsch version comes from; an instrumental version played a James Last and his orchestra. Stylistically, the vast majority of cover versions based on the given framework of traditional country folk ballad. Singers are at the Jolene interpretations clearly in the majority. One possible reason for this preference is the lyrics, which has a typical situation for women rather to content.
From Dolly Parton itself there are in addition to the original version several live recordings, such as on the CD Live in London, as well as a duet with other artists, such as at a live performance on the occasion of American Independence Day in July 2010 together with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus. During the Grammy Awards 2011 Norah Jones, John Mayer and Keith Urban played together a cover version of Jolene in honor of Dolly Parton, which was at this event a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her life's work. A relaunch of the original version in the environment of electronic music of the 2012 produced Jolene remix of two house DJs Dadoni & Gamper.
A rather sarcastic and critical adaptation of the song played in 1995, the British singer-songwriter and punk musician Kirsty MacColl one. Music and lyrics of the song Caroline had indeed re-composed MacColl. In an interview, she confessed, however, to have the quite similar melody and tempo ago sounding song deliberately conceived as an answer song to Jolene.
Literature and Film
The American writer and journalist EL Doctorow wrote, inspired by the song, the short story Jolene: A Life. It is about a young woman in trouble, and was first published in 2002 in The New Yorker magazine. Two years later the story appeared with four other stories in his band Sweet Land Stories. 2008 was after this presentation of independent film Jolene by Dan Ireland with Jessica Chastain in the title role.