7 Times The Internet Understood Your Obsession With Dolly Parton's "Jolene"
Apr. 15 2020, Updated 10:43 p.m. ET
![dolly parton](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/fRHVVVZyz/480x251/dolly-parton-jolene-memes-1571834351153.jpg 480w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/fRHVVVZyz/640x335/dolly-parton-jolene-memes-1571834351153.jpg 640w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/fRHVVVZyz/768x402/dolly-parton-jolene-memes-1571834351153.jpg 768w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/fRHVVVZyz/1024x536/dolly-parton-jolene-memes-1571834351153.jpg 1024w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/fRHVVVZyz/1280x670/dolly-parton-jolene-memes-1571834351153.jpg 1280w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/fRHVVVZyz/1440x753/dolly-parton-jolene-memes-1571834351153.jpg 1440w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/fRHVVVZyz/1600x837/dolly-parton-jolene-memes-1571834351153.jpg 1600w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/fRHVVVZyz/2160x1130/dolly-parton-jolene-memes-1571834351153.jpg 2160w)
On Oct. 22, 1974, country legend Dolly Parton released one of her most popular songs, "Jolene." The song spent 19 weeks on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and peaked at No. 1 on Feb. 2, 1974.
Was Jolene a real person?
According to Dolly, Jolene existed. Turns out the song was inspired by a bank clerk who she caught flirting with her husband, Carl.
"She got this terrible crush on my husband," Dolly explained according to NPR. "And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda 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."
(Don't worry, Dolly and Carl are still together and recently celebrated their 53 years of marriage).
However, the bank clerk's name wasn't Jolene. The moniker came to Dolly as she was signing autographs and came across a young girl "with beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes" named Jolene. The rest, as they say, is history.
These memes prove that "Jolene" is a timeless track.
Over four decades have passed and people are still obsessed with Dolly's pleading cries. The song has even been covered by some of the biggest names in music from Miley Cyrus — Dolly's goddaughter — to The White Stripes. Even if you're not a fan of country music, you can find a way to get down with this song. Keep scrolling for the best Dolly Parton "Jolene" memes.
1. If you wouldn't stand up for Dolly like this, you shouldn't be here.
![download](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/4-IRogu0J/480x326/download-1571779447666.jpeg 480w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/4-IRogu0J/640x435/download-1571779447666.jpeg 640w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/4-IRogu0J/768x522/download-1571779447666.jpeg 768w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/4-IRogu0J/1024x695/download-1571779447666.jpeg 1024w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/4-IRogu0J/1280x869/download-1571779447666.jpeg 1280w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/4-IRogu0J/1440x978/download-1571779447666.jpeg 1440w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/4-IRogu0J/1600x1086/download-1571779447666.jpeg 1600w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/4-IRogu0J/2160x1466/download-1571779447666.jpeg 2160w)
I bet Jolene was a Scorpio.
2. Just imagine how Dolly must've felt after saying the name "Jolene" 31 times in one song.
![screen shot at pm](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/s2CtwCqsG/480x360/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50322-pm-1571779457097.png 480w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/s2CtwCqsG/640x480/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50322-pm-1571779457097.png 640w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/s2CtwCqsG/768x576/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50322-pm-1571779457097.png 768w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/s2CtwCqsG/1024x767/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50322-pm-1571779457097.png 1024w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/s2CtwCqsG/1280x959/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50322-pm-1571779457097.png 1280w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/s2CtwCqsG/1440x1079/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50322-pm-1571779457097.png 1440w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/s2CtwCqsG/1600x1198/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50322-pm-1571779457097.png 1600w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/s2CtwCqsG/2160x1618/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50322-pm-1571779457097.png 2160w)
Jolene clearly doesn't know how to listen.
3. Dolly invented "cancel culture," and it's obvious.
![screen shot at pm](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/mwYnIamYN/480x133/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50446-pm-1571779484263.png 480w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/mwYnIamYN/640x177/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50446-pm-1571779484263.png 640w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/mwYnIamYN/768x212/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50446-pm-1571779484263.png 768w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/mwYnIamYN/1024x283/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50446-pm-1571779484263.png 1024w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/mwYnIamYN/1280x353/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50446-pm-1571779484263.png 1280w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/mwYnIamYN/1440x397/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50446-pm-1571779484263.png 1440w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/mwYnIamYN/1600x442/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50446-pm-1571779484263.png 1600w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/mwYnIamYN/2160x596/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50446-pm-1571779484263.png 2160w)
The name "Jolene" should be erased from modern history.
4. Sometimes you just can't trust anyone.
![screen shot at pm](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/vkL3aZeh6/480x387/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50659-pm-1571779504718.png 480w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/vkL3aZeh6/640x516/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50659-pm-1571779504718.png 640w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/vkL3aZeh6/768x619/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50659-pm-1571779504718.png 768w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/vkL3aZeh6/1024x825/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50659-pm-1571779504718.png 1024w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/vkL3aZeh6/1280x1031/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50659-pm-1571779504718.png 1280w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/vkL3aZeh6/1440x1160/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50659-pm-1571779504718.png 1440w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/vkL3aZeh6/1600x1289/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50659-pm-1571779504718.png 1600w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/vkL3aZeh6/2160x1739/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50659-pm-1571779504718.png 2160w)
Dolly doesn't want to play these games anymore.
5. Someone clearly didn't get the memo.
![screen shot at pm](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/CHIiFhLIB/451x500/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50805-pm-1571779519494.png 451w)
Imagine seeing this on the highway? I'd call the cops.
6. As soon as that chorus hits, it's over for you.
![screen shot at pm](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/HQxokAvVg/361x499/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50620-pm-1571779538819.png 361w)
This song makes me want to raise cattle and live on a barn.
7. Poor Dolly, resorting to humor to mask her pain.
![screen shot at pm](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DSdjJPF-S/480x362/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50405-pm-1571779590840.png 480w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DSdjJPF-S/640x482/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50405-pm-1571779590840.png 640w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DSdjJPF-S/768x578/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50405-pm-1571779590840.png 768w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DSdjJPF-S/1024x771/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50405-pm-1571779590840.png 1024w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DSdjJPF-S/1280x963/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50405-pm-1571779590840.png 1280w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DSdjJPF-S/1440x1084/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50405-pm-1571779590840.png 1440w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DSdjJPF-S/1600x1204/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50405-pm-1571779590840.png 1600w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/DSdjJPF-S/2160x1625/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-50405-pm-1571779590840.png 2160w)
At least she knows how to keep her song relevant.