As Dolly Parton mourns the death of her spouse of 59 years, Carl Dean, the origins of one of her most popular songs, 1973's "Jolene," is making the rounds once again—because Dean, and a bank teller who was infatuated with him decades ago, were the main inspirations for the song about a woman desperate to keep the title character from stealing her husband, reports the Washington Post. In a 2008 interview, Parton told NPR that the red-haired teller had had "a terrible crush" on Dean, and that her husband of just seven years at the time the song was written "just loved going to the bank, because she paid him so much attention."
Parton continued: "It was kind of like a running joke between us when I was saying, 'Hell, you're spending a lot of time at the bank. I don't believe we've got that kind of money.' So it's really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one." The teller's name wasn't Jolene, though—that name came about when a little girl (also a redhead) around 8 years old asked for Parton's autograph at a show. "I said, 'What is your name?' And she said, 'Jolene,'" Parton recalled during the NPR interview. "And I said, 'Well, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene.' ... I said, 'That sounds like a song. I'm going to write a song about that.'"
Parton has said since that many women have told her how relatable the song is, likely due to the simple lyrics (the song has only about 200 words) and "kind of mysterious" minor key, per the New York Times. During her NPR interview, she also said she felt that the song—which has been covered by Miley Cyrus, the White Stripes, and Beyonce, among others—resonated with the ladies because "no matter how beautiful a woman may be, you're always threatened ... by other women, period." As for how Dean felt about the song, Parton said in a 2023 interview that "he was a little embarrassed ... because, actually, it wasn't as serious [as it seems]," per the Independent. (More Dolly Parton stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
