# "Jolene"! Whose version do you like best? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 30, 2024, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591 "2024-03-30T01:15:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/1 "2024-03-30T01:15:15Z")
Lots of singers have done covers of Dolly Parton’s wonderful “Jolene” and while I haven’t heard them all, I’ve heard some excellent ones, although i always find myself going back to Dolly’s original as my favorite. The latest is [Beyonce’s lyric-revising version](https://youtu.be/x9XHMK3nWr4?si=qIGDMg-yiFuFDtsR) on her country album. So which one grabs you the most? ETA: I tried to embed the video but was rebuffed by the board, alas. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/2 "2024-03-30T01:16:55Z")
I am not a big fan of Miley Cyrus but she nails “Jolene”. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wOwblaKmyVw/maxresdefault.jpg "Miley Cyrus - The Backyard Sessions - "Jolene"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOwblaKmyVw) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/3 "2024-03-30T01:18:03Z")
And, of course, Cyrus and Parton are very close and sang it as a duet many years ago. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/f6H4r1kWqSM/hqdefault.jpg "Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton Singing 'Jolene'") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6H4r1kWqSM) ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/4 "2024-03-30T01:21:48Z")
WHOOOO-EEEEE! Oh, yes, that is a helluva cover, and Miley has the perfect voice for it. Just a light dusting of twang on those pipes. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/5 "2024-03-30T01:48:26Z")
What\_Exit suggested a way to get the Beyonce video uploaded, so here goes: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/x9XHMK3nWr4/maxresdefault.jpg "Beyoncé - JOLENE (Official Lyric Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9XHMK3nWr4) ---
**Author:** ![Deanna\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Deanna\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deanna_D)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/6 "2024-03-30T01:52:05Z")
I love Beyonce, but it might take me a minute to warm up to her re-working such a legendary song. It’s always great to see another artist give us their own style and interpretation of someone else’s work, but I’m ambivalent on the considerable lyric changes. At some point, it’s just not the same song. That said, it’s not a bad song…it’s just not THE “Jolene.” ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/7 "2024-03-30T01:56:40Z")
Wow! Googling around for other covers, i found this duet between Dolly and Pentatonix: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oYCoyUxY2HY/maxresdefault.jpg "Pentatonix & Dolly Parton - Jolene") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYCoyUxY2HY) ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/8 "2024-03-30T02:01:05Z")
Also, it was **Whack-a-Mole** , not What-Exit, who PMed me how to get the video to show. I must be getting even more senile… ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/9 "2024-03-30T02:03:32Z")
Can’t say I am a big fan of that one. I’m with @Deanna_D on it. It’s not a bad song but it’s not really “Jolene” to me. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/10 "2024-03-30T02:10:27Z")
I tend to agree with both of you. But it’s interesting to discover what Beyonce can do on her own terms. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/11 "2024-03-30T02:14:03Z")
Only Dolly will do for me. Right @Dung_Beetle. Back me up here. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/12 "2024-03-30T02:18:53Z")
Seems that Dolly did a “Jolene” duet with Olivia Newton-John: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ikbHeZBocPU/maxresdefault.jpg "Olivia Newton-John - Jolene ft. Dolly Parton") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikbHeZBocPU) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/13 "2024-03-30T02:20:08Z")
Is it a hijack to insert Jolene’s response? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/y_OcGTay52Y/maxresdefault.jpg "Jolene (from Jolene’s perspective)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_OcGTay52Y) ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/14 "2024-03-30T02:30:24Z")
Huh. That was good – but the audio didn’t play for me here; I copied the URL and it worked fine in another tab. Meanwhile, back in medieval times, it would appear that Jolene was a seductress even then (starts slow but worth it; helluva voice): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ugqQlB5fpuc/maxresdefault.jpg "Jolene (Bardcore | Medieval Style)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugqQlB5fpuc) ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/15 "2024-03-30T02:31:16Z")
that was pretty good ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/16 "2024-03-30T02:36:00Z")
🙄 the same excuses of every cheatin hussy ever 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/17 "2024-03-30T02:44:31Z")
My favorite is Dolly Parton, but slowed down like a 45 played on a 33. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/doz1QJ7LwjA/hqdefault.jpg "Jolene at 33 rpm") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doz1QJ7LwjA) ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/18 "2024-03-30T02:49:16Z")
For those new to this song, here’s the one and only singing her original composition [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xrrPG_VlvIQ/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHWBIAC4AOKAgwIABABGHIgSigtMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCQmCgRTwOEBawTV-OFcbkou_gBPg "Dolly Parton - Jolene (1974).") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrrPG_VlvIQ) Norah Jones [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/M3d8KobWVwk/maxresdefault.jpg "The Little Willies - Jolene") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3d8KobWVwk) And some male voices weigh in: Lil Nas X [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/RWjnC8HSRdU/maxresdefault.jpg "Lil Nas X - Jolene (Dolly Parton Cover) in the Live Lounge") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWjnC8HSRdU) Colm R. McGuinness [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/V_Oy2VmxN_I/maxresdefault.jpg "Jolene - Dolly Parton (Epic Western Cover)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Oy2VmxN_I) ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/19 "2024-03-30T02:50:07Z")
Dolly is Miley’s godmother. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591/20 "2024-03-30T02:51:42Z")
Oh, that slowed-down version has a whole different feel to it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jolene-whose-version-do-you-like-best/999591.md?page=2)