The question of whether you do something about it or move on is answered byJolene.
In the context of the song, the speaker feels she has no choice but to confront the culprit.
A deeply emotional ballad that all too many people can relate to.
The exceedingly personal nature of the song has led fans to wonder if it’s based in truth.
WhenJolenewas released, we didn’t have the internet to turn to for dissections and analyses of the song.
In the early years of the country singer’s career, she appeared onThe Porter Wagoner Show.
It was during her time on the show that several of her hit songs were recorded.
According to Parton, after these shows, she often stayed late signing autographs.
This is when she met the now-infamous Jolene.
I said, ‘Well, you’re the prettiest little thing I ever saw.
So what is your name?’
And she said, ‘Jolene.’
And I said, ‘Jolene.
I said, ‘That is pretty.
That sounds like a song.
I’m going to write a song about that.'"
And write a song about that, she did.
Only, that’s not where the story ends.
And the singer knows this all too well.
She calls it “an innocent song all around,” even though it sounds anything but.
The “innocent” song’s staying power is undeniable.
According to Parton, we’re “always threatened by other women, period.”
