Jolene was inspired by a red-haired girl who asked for Dolly Partons autograph at a show. Dolly was struck by the girls beauty and the name Jolene, deciding to write a song about it. The story in the song about a woman pleading with Jolene not to take her man is fictional, but Parton has admitted that the songs tension stems from her own marriage, where a particular bank teller had taken an interest in her husband.
Key: Am
Introduction:
Am
Am
C
G/B
Am
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
G
Am
Ooh, I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
Am
C
G/B
Am
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
G
Am
Please don't take him even though you can
Am
C
Your beauty is beyond compare,
G
Am
With flaming locks of auburn hair,
G
Am
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
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C
Your smile is like a breath of spring,
G
Am
Your skin is soft like summer rain,
G
Am
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene
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C
And I could easily understand
G
Am
How you could easily take my man
G
Am
But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene
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C
And he talks about you in his sleep,
G
Am
There's nothing I can do to keep
G
Am
From crying, when he calls your name, Jolene ... Jolene