Probably Hopeless Song ID Plea

Cafe Society
1

My daughter recently wrote a story in which a character is named Jolena. When she told us about it, my wife and I both started singing. My wife sang “Jolene,” a country song originally recorded by (I believe) Dolly Parton.

I sang what I think is a 50s or 60s song, “Jolena.” My wife had never heard of it, and various web searches keep giving me results for “Jolene” instead.

Here’s why it’s probably hopeless: I can only remember the chorus, which goes like this:

Jolena, Jolena.
Jolena, Jolena.
Jolena, Jolena.
[something not “Jolena”]

I can sing it — heck, I am singing it, but you guys can’t hear me. All I can tell you is that it’s a sprightly* tempo, and that both "Jo"s are lightly accented while the second “le” is strongly accented and drawn out.

JO lee na JO LEEEEE na

Can anyone pull this rabbit out of a hat?

*That’s a music term, right?

2

You weren’t thinking of Corinna, Corinna were you?

3

That’s the tune that came to mind when I read the OP but I didn’t remember the correct title.

4

Or the Ritchie Valens song “Charlena”.

5

That’s it exactly, Son. And in just 8 minutes, too. Thank you!

6

The first time I heard this song was when I clicked the link this afternoon. The second time I heard this song was a couple hours later when it was playing in the store I was in.

7

God, we’re good.

Hey, what’s the name of that song? You know, the one about the thing where the singer does that other thing.

8

MacArthur Park, am I right?

9

“Reap the Wild Wind”, I was thinking.

10

Hazard. Richard Marx.