Kristy Kelly: Jolene is the devil, but not for the way you think
I listened to Beyonce’s version of “Jolene”. While I liked it better than the original, I couldn’t figure out what it is that bothered me about it. I’ve secretly judged Dolly Parton for the song “Jolene”. Born in 1979, I barely made the cut to call myself Gen X, so I’m young enough to accept throughout history women believed themselves to be powerless, and old enough to realize how little collective power women had. It’s because of songs like Jolene.
Social media feminists like to blame everything on the patriarchy. Is patriarchy a problem? Yes, but it has very little to do with why I have spent a lifetime secretly judging Dolly Parton, whom I believe to be an actual living angel gifted to us by the one who answers your prayers. Now I’m judging Beyonce, words that are unfathomable to be spoken about a woman with an insane amount of talent and brilliance. The two women who have the loudest voices are training the next generation in how to villainize women when men have wandering eyes.
I’m a second generation feminist born in an income bracket that didn’t care about pronouns. Men and women have always worked in my world. I may have been too young and naive to understand sexism on a societal scale, but the only thing to do in poverty is to survive. At best my views on life are unorthodox because poverty is a powerful equalizer.
To me, there is no difference between Dolly’s version or Beyonce’s. Both women in the song feel in competition with Jolene for the man who presumably made a commitment to them. The only difference between the two is how they respond to the threat in their relationship. Jolene, the potentially man stealing woman, sees two very different reactions. Dolly gets down on her knees and begs her to leave the pathetic excuse of a man alone. Beyonce refuses to kneel but demands Jolene find her own man. Why are these passionate women fighting over a man who, based on my perception of the song, doesn’t value the commitments agreed upon with either woman.
What would it take for women to have had enough competition? The only real power we, as humans have, is with our commerce and our voice. We buy what is cheap and easy instead of supporting the local businesses that would build more opportunities for ourselves. We let the shiny people on screens dictate what we wear, how we think, what we value and what is worth fighting for. It just never seems to be ourselves.
Ultimately it doesn’t matter which version is preferred by opinionated content creators, both deliver the same message that will resonate with their fan base, as intended. It’s just unfortunate that in 2024, we’re still promoting how little accountability men have when they decide to cheat. Firm in my hypocrisy, I’ll still sing along to both songs and support both artists, despite their questionable lines in the sand with Jolene. I'd much rather hear a song about the woman singing and Jolene showing the potentially unfaithful man the door.
My cheesy new version of Jolene :
[Verse 1]
Jolene, let's talk, just you and I
About the man who's caught your eye
But trust me, he's not worth your time, Jolene
His charm, his smile, they may seem real
But his heart is hollow, it isn’t real
He will only bring you pain, he’s not a dream, Jolene
[Verse 2]
I've seen you linger in his gaze
But behind those eyes, there's a maze
Of lies and deceit, don't fall for his scheme, Jolene
You're more than just a pawn in his game
You’re the reason I can leave without shame
We don’t need this, we don’t need to be a scene, Jolene
[Chorus]
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Let's walk away, leave him behind (Jolene)
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Together we'll find peace of mind
[Outro]
Jolene, listen to my plea
Together, we can be free
Let's leave this man, you and me
And find new love that's meant to be
Neuse News is a locally-owned small business startup in downtown Kinston. Our goal is to provide free, hyper-local news to Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties. The kind of news our grandparents read in a format fit for today's times.
We provide this by having supportive advertisers and we encourage you to click on their ads, shop with them, and eat with them. Every bit of financial support is important to help us sustain free, hyper-local news.
Please consider supporting Neuse News with as little as $5 one-time or via a monthly option. Every little bit helps us, help you.
