The Dolly Parton Song Fans Say Never Gets Old

More than 50 years after Dolly Parton released “Jolene,” fans still say the song hits them emotionally in a way that few others do. The iconic ballad continues to spark passionate discussions online, with many fans pointing to the raw vulnerability Parton captures in the lyrics as the reason it stands above the rest.

Parton has written and performed hundreds of songs over the course of her career. Some fans, however, always go back to “Jolene” as the one they love the most. “‘Jolene’ might be the perfect song,” one fan recently declared on Reddit.

In a previous Reddit discussion about the song, one fan noted, “It’s so raw and vulnerable.” Another shared, “What I love about the song is you can really feel her emotions.”

Someone else acknowledged that “Jolene” wasn’t necessarily Parton’s best song. Despite that, it remains a favorite because “there’s something about that record that just perfectly encapsulates that Nashville Sound, plus its crossover power.”

In a post on Parton’s Facebook page, a couple of fans commented that they were named Jolene in honor of the iconic song.

The story behind the writing of “Jolene” is part of what makes it an ongoing favorite of Parton’s fans. In 2008, Parton told NPR that a redheaded bank teller inspired the song. “She got this terrible crush on my husband, and he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention,” Parton recalled.

Parton didn’t get jealous, though. She explained it became a running joke between her and her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025. “It’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one,” she admitted of “Jolene.”

Interestingly, the bank teller’s name wasn’t Jolene, though. That was the name of a little girl Parton met while signing autographs one night. When she learned the little girl’s name was Jolene, she told her, “That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I’m going to write a song about that.”

In 2004, Rolling Stone deemed “Jolene” the best country song of all time, topping a list of 200 iconic tunes. The media outlet felt the song was Parton’s “pinnacle as a singer, songwriter, and storyteller,” making it the “ultimate country heartbreak song.”

Fans have a hard time choosing a favorite when it comes to Parton’s songs. Decades later, “Jolene” remains one of the songs fans mention most when talking about which Parton song still holds up the best.