Comments on: Retro Single Review: Dolly Parton, “Jolene”

By: Tom P

Tom P — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:12:08 +0000

Jolene has always amazed me. It did go to #1 in 1974 but it wasn’t at that time considered to be a monster hit. It was just another #1. Its the one song I know of that just seems to get bigger and bigger all the time. If this had come out during Dolly’s peak in the late 70′s, I often wonder how big this would have been. It could have possibly been the biggest country song of all time. I do believe in time this will be much more known than Stand By Your Man, Crazy, He Stopped Loving…, etc. Only time will tell I guess

By: Abdul Majeed

Abdul Majeed — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:53:45 +0000

I think this song has been covered and translated into our native language here in the Philippines. I just can’t remember the artist/band who performed it.

By: Erik North

Erik North — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 17:20:50 +0000

I think the song remains a classic because Dolly is both honest and poetic at the same time, in a way that, nowadays, is practically impossible to get away with except in the alt-country/Americana sector. Dolly’s good friend Linda Ronstadt once said that honesty is the most important thing in any kind of art, and this song really defines that (IMHO).

By: Ben Foster

Ben Foster — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 16:59:41 +0000

A classic performance if ever there was one. Forasmuch as this song has been covered, it seems none have been able to match Parton’s layered, desperate performance, though I daresay Newton-John came close. The minor-key arrangement and guitar hook makes it especially memorable.

(Glad to see Dolly seems to have put away the seventies pant suits though, as they have not aged nearly as well as the song has)