Sounds like Dolly Parton was right. After the country icon said he hoped Beyonce would sample or interpolate the 1973 classic “Jolene” for her new album, Bey has done just that, with altered lyrics and song structure on her highly anticipated new album “Cowboy Carter.”
Parton didn't completely let the cat out of the bag — she made two cameos on the record, introducing her own “Dolly B” interlude just before the trap-meets-country song “Tyrant” and “Jolene.” “Hey Miss Honey B, this is Dolly B. You know that hussy with the nice hair you sing about?” Parton also sings Beyoncé's 2016 song “Sorry” and the line “Peggy with the Good Hair” on “Dolly B.” “Reminds me of someone I know, except for her burning auburn hair, bless her heart. A hair of a different color but it hurts the same.
Beyoncé puts her own fiery spin on “Jolene,” changing the lyrics and the overall tone of the original song. Where Barton begs a woman not to steal her man, Bay sends warning shots to a suit: “I can easily understand why you're attracted to my man / But you don't want this smoke, so shoot your shot. Someone else.” He makes his revenge even more overt, saying, “I had to have this conversation with you because I hate acting stupid / Your peace depends on how you move, Jolene.”
Parton referenced the “Jolene” cover Wednesday night, posting a picture of the album's tracklist on her Instagram Stories and writing, “Play the original while you wait for @Beyoncé's 'Jolene.' On Thursday, she posted her throwback photo. For her stage, she titled it “Just Call Me Dolly B” and used Beyoncé's “Texas Hold 'Em.”
“Jolene” is one of two notable covers of “Cowboy Carter”, as Beyoncé's duet with Tanner Adele on The Beatles' composition “Blackbird” (titled “Blackbird”). Elsewhere on the album, he folds in a number of interludes, including Beach Boys' “Good Vibrations,” Nancy Sinatra's “These Boots Are Made For Walking” and a reference to the Miley Cyrus duet “II Most Wanted” with Bleedwood Mac's “Landslide.” .”
“Cowboy Carter” comes less than two months after Beyoncé released her twin singles “Texas Hold 'Em” and “16 Garages” during the Super Bowl in early February. In an Instagram post, he explained that he was inspired to create “Cowboy Carter,” after an incident where he didn't feel “welcome,” referring to a controversial performance with the Dixie Chicks (as they were then known). 2016 Country Music Association Awards.
Read the full deep dive on Beyoncé's “Cowboy Carter” album.
