While Beyoncé fans found out on Wednesday when the Cowboy Carter tracklist was unveiled that there would be a song called “Jolene” on the album, the finished product is not exactly a Dolly Parton cover.
In fact, Bey keeps the simple string-plucking production almost identical to Parton’s 1973 original on her new “Jolene,” but she’s updated almost all the lyrics to tell a brand-new story of the infamous other woman. We discover the lyrical changes almost immediately, when Beyoncé sings in the second line, “I’m warning you, don’t come for my man,” in place of Parton’s “I’m beggin’ of you, please don’t take my man.”
The biggest musical shift comes in Beyoncé’s new bridge, which has a melody that isn’t used in Dolly’s song and includes a choir of voices backing up Queen B. The bridge switches from the song’s minor key to an optimistic major as Beyoncé confidently sings: “I sleep good happy, ’cause you can’t dig up our planted seeds.”
Below, find the new lyrics to Beyoncé’s “Jolene,” as well as her lyric video, and Parton’s original “Jolene” lyrics.
BEYONCÉ’S NEW “JOLENE LYRICS”
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I’m warning you, don’t come for my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Don’t take the chance because you think you can
You’re beautiful beyond compare
Takes more than beauty and seductive stares
To come between a family and a happy man
Jolene, I’m a woman too
Thе games you play are nothing new
So you don’t want no hеat with me, Jolene
We’ve been deep in love for 20 years
I raised that man, I raised his kids
I know my man better than he knows himself (what)
I can easily understand why you’re attracted to my man
But you don’t want this smoke, so shoot your shot with someone else (you heard me)
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I’m warning you, woman, find you your own man
Jolene, I know I’m a queen, Jolene
I’m still a Creole banjee bitch…
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