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Beyoncé’s ‘Jolene’ Lyrics vs. Dolly Parton’s Original: What’s New & What’s the Same?

Here are Beyoncé's new "Jolene" lyrics compared to Dolly Parton's original "Jolene" lyrics. What's new and what stayed the same?

While Beyoncé fans found out on Wednesday when the Cowboy Carter tracklist was unveiled that there would be a song called “Jolene” on the album, the finished product is not exactly a Dolly Parton cover. In fact, Bey keeps the simple string-plucking production almost identical to Parton’s 1973 original on her new “Jolene,” but she’s updated almost all the lyrics to tell a brand-new story of the infamous other woman. The bridge switches from the song’s minor key to an optimistic major as Beyoncé confidently sings: “I sleep good happy, ’cause you can’t dig up our planted seeds.”

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