The View co-host Joy Behar says she likes Beyoncé’s reworked version of Jolene better because Dolly Parton’s classic is “anti-feminist.”
Behar, while still enjoying the 1973 original, took issue with Parton’s character pleading with an attractive younger woman in the song not to take her man.
The central theme of the triple-platinum hit is that Jolene could easily steal it, and her partner asks her not to, out of the goodness of her heart.
Instead, Beyoncé’s version shows the woman directly threatening Jolene not to pursue him, or else.
‘I like the idea of Beyoncé taking charge of the lyrics. “I just think the original thing with Dolly Parton is so anti-feminist, worrying about a pretty woman taking her man,” Behar told ABC News. Behind the table podcast.
The View co-host Joy Behar says she likes Beyoncé’s reworked version of Jolene better because Dolly Parton’s classic is “anti-feminist.”
Instead, Beyoncé’s version shows the woman directly threatening Jolene not to go after him, or else
‘If it’s so easy to get your man, then take him! Beyoncé says, “If you take my man, you’ll be in a lot of trouble,” and I say, “Go ahead, take my man, take him!”‘
Behar, 81, insisted she considered music legend Parton, 78, a feminist and “the best,” and her criticism was directed solely at the song Jolene.
Beyoncé’s version of Jolene appeared on her new album Cowboy Carter, her first foray into country music, which was released Saturday.
He replaced the line ‘I’m begging you, please don’t take my man’ with a threatening one: ‘I’m warning you, don’t come for my man… Don’t take a chance because you think you can.’
Similarly, the last pleading line where Jolene is told “my happiness depends on you” and whether she pursues the man she’s talking about.
Instead, Jolene is warned: “You don’t want this smoke, so shoot with someone else.” Can you hear me.’
Parton herself enthusiastically supported Beyoncé’s version after hearing it for the first time on the day of its release.
‘Wow, I just heard Jolene. “Beyonce is giving that girl trouble and she deserves it,” Parton wrote online.
The central theme of Dolly Parton’s 1973 triple-platinum hit is that Jolene could easily steal it, and her partner tells her not to, out of the goodness of her heart.
Beyoncé’s version of Jolene appeared on her new album Cowboy Carter, her first foray into country music, which was released Saturday.
There were other major changes to the lyrics that make the song less of a humble plea for mercy and more of a rebuke for the main character.
“You are beautiful beyond comparison/It takes more than beauty and seductive looks/To stand between a family and a happy man,” says one altered line.
‘Jolene, I’m a woman too/The games you’re playing ain’t nothing new/So you don’t want any anger with me, Jolene.’
When the star transitioned to the chorus once again, the lyrics also included: ‘I’m warning you woman, find your own man/Jolene, I know I’m a queen, Jolene/I’m still a banjee Creole b***h from Louisiana ( Do not try me).’
Towards the end of the second verse, Beyoncé added lyrics to show that she was confident her man would stay by her side.
‘Good deeds come like falling weeds/I sleep very happily, because you can’t dig up our planted seeds/I know my man will stay by my side breathing my gentle breeze.’
The version concluded with a bridge as a choir joined the singer as they sang: “I crossed those valleys, highs and lows and everything in between / Good deeds roll like weeds.”
Beyoncé then briefly sang in her man’s perspective, singing, “I’m by his side/She’s going to be by my side/Jolene. I’m by his side/He’s going to be by my side, Jolene.”
Beyoncé made other important changes to the lyrics that make the song less of a humble plea for mercy and more of a rebuke for the main character.
Parton herself enthusiastically supported Beyoncé’s take after hearing it for the first time on the day of its release.
Parton also appeared on Beyoncé’s album with a 20-second vocal interlude leading into Jolene’s cover saying, “Hello, Miss Honey Bey, I’m Dolly P.”
You know that bitch with the good hair you sing about? It reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago. Except she has flaming auburn locks of hair,” she added, subtly referencing Beyoncé’s “Becky” from the Lemonade album era.
‘Bless his heart. Just hair of a different color. But it hurts the same.
Parton previously hinted that Beyoncé may have covered for Jolene and gave her opinion during an interview with Knox News.
‘Well, I think so! I think Jolene has recorded and I think she’s probably going to be on her country album, which I’m really excited about,” the Here You Come Again hitmaker stated.
She also gushed: ‘I love her! She is a beautiful girl and a great singer. We’ve sent messages back and forth over the years.
“And she and her mom were like fans, and I was always touched that they were fans, and I always thought she was cool.”
In 2022, Parton had expressed her desire to have Beyoncé cover Jolene. Meanwhile The Daily Show with Trevor NoahHe stated, “I think she’s fantastic and beautiful, and I love her music.”
“I would love to hear Jolene performed in a big way, kind of like Whitney (Houston) did my I Will Always Love You.”
Dolly added: “Just someone who can take my little songs and turn them into powerhouses.” It would be a wonderful day in my life if I ever did the Jolene thing.