You couldn’t grow up in the 80s without hearing the Dolly Parton jokes. What a shame though, because it colored the way I saw her musically. It’s why it took me so damn long to see that she made a masterpiece back in 1974. There are many great songs on this album. Songs that others have made their own. But “Jolene” will always be hers. There’s an attitude here that we don’t often associate with country music. This tense plea to Jolene is held together tightly by a killer guitar riff, a gorgeous string arrangement and an emotionally charged performance from Dolly.
“He talks about you in his sleep. And there's nothing I can do to keep from crying when he calls your name, Jolene.”
