Beyonce / H… performed by Jolene

The country song “Jolene” was written by Dolly Parton and recorded by Bob Ferguson in Nashville. The song’s inspiration dates back to around the late 60s, when the songwriter’s first marriage to a contractor was rocked by the presence of a beautiful bank clerk who had charmed her husband. Parton named her “Jolene” because she liked the sound of the name and placed herself in the role of the narrator pleading with a beautiful woman. The singer worries that the man she loves won’t be able to resist Jolene’s charms if she shows him a little attention. So he tells her that she is incomparably beautiful and that he knows he cannot compete with her. In words of despair and admiration, the narrator unfolds her anguish and begs the woman with the emerald eyes, the smile that brings spring and the voice that is soft as summer rain, not to steal her man because he is her everything. people, while she can have anyone else she wants. Rivalry also left room for sincere admiration. In the last and most heartbreaking verse of the song, Dolly Parton tells Jolene that her own happiness depends on what she ultimately decides to do. Never in the history of discography has a woman shown such a disarming understanding of female supremacy that makes men speechless. The narrator knows that if she ends up losing the precious man she loves, it won’t be his fault or her who fell in love with her. The song was released on 45rpm in October 1973 as the first single from Parton’s self-titled album and was a big hit, reaching the top of the charts.

From admiration to threats

With her album this year, Beyonce decided to make a tourist attempt in the country by covering this masterpiece song, wanting to present herself as emancipated (?) and spoiled, reversing the meaning and removing all charm from the drama of the lyrics. The trope of assaulting the ‘androgynous’ is prominent in R’n’B (‘The Boy Is Mine’) and Beyonce’s claim sparks – at least – conservative lyrics (‘it takes more than seductive looks to break a family’ ,) challenges (“you don’t want to mess with me, Jolene”), along with an uncomfortable confidence (“I raised him and his kids and I know him better than he knows himself”), which leads to misogynistic insults (“I warn you, find your own man, because I’m a queen and you a bitch from Louisiana”). What’s most heartbreaking is that Beyonce, with this soulless and disorienting cover, overseen by her husband Jay Z, thinks she’s teaching women’s empowerment while having a style that draws inspiration from fads and the worst self-improvement book advice. Of course, Beyonce saw her “Single Ladies” hit, which pretty much said, “If you want me, let me see the wedding ring first,” as a feminist manifesto, so no words.

The dozens of adaptations

The female drama of “Jolene” has been adapted from time to time in history. The most iconic renditions are Olivia Newton John’s in 1976 which brought quite a bit of the disco sheen of the time, Kellee Patterson’s funky cover in 1976, Reba McEntire’s countrypolitan version in 1989, Strawberry Switchblade’s Scottish new wave cover from 1985 and of course that of the White Stripes in 2000, who with an angry blues rock recalled the fragile momentum of early Led Zeppelin. It’s also worth seeking out the MTV Unplugged performance of 10,000 Maniacs, Norah Jones’ jazzy rendition (2012) with the dispassionate vocals the song calls for, and Melissa Etheridge’s rare performance. For the record, Dolly Parton has always had a genuine talent for writing beautiful, “folk” tunes, and the same record produced another song that would indelibly make history, “I Will Always Love You,” destined to become her biggest hit. of Whitney Houston’s career in 1992.