If you’re a fan of Dolly Parton, you’ve probably heard the song “Jolene,” one of the country singer’s greatest hits.
Although it was released in 1974, “Jolene” remains one of her most iconic tracks. It’s just the kind of song that everyone couldn’t help but sing along to whenever it plays.
Parton explained that the song’s lyrics were inspired by an encounter between her husband, Carl Dean, and a woman working at a bank. While Dean was at their local bank, a clerk with flaming red hair started flirting with him.
He and Parton hadn’t been married very long at the time, and naturally, the latter wasn’t too thrilled about the woman’s actions.
So, she wrote the lyrics, “please don’t take my man.” As for the song’s title, a young fan hopped on stage to get her autograph while Parton was on tour. And that fan’s name was Jolene.
Garnetta Rickett, a parody artist and huge Dolly Parton fan, decided to sing her own version of “Jolene.”
She changed the song’s lyrics to mirror the experiences of many wives/girlfriends during quarantine, and the result was a hilarious parody!
Rickett did such a good job that she appeared on the Bob & Sheri morning talk show to share the story behind her made-up lyrics.
It all began when Sheri heard her version of “Jolene.” The host said that when she watched her video, she was “on the floor snort laughing.”
During the interview, she asked Rickett why she chose to parody this particular song.
“Well, I had a lot of friends at the time complaining about their husbands or boyfriends being underfoot,” Rickett responded.
The pandemic has forced couples to be with each other all the time, and as it turns out, some of them aren’t too thrilled about their current living situation.
Rickett is a singer who comes from a musical family, so coming up with this parody wasn’t too difficult for her.
While chatting with the morning show co-hosts, Sheri said that being stuck at home with a significant other isn’t anything like the romantic Hallmark films. Rickett agreed and chimed in to say no; it was more like “misery.”
As a caregiver to her 76-year-old mother on hospice, Rickett is used to being under quarantine. She said she’s become so good at it that she could give other people tips on how to survive.
Rickett also mentioned that she’s a big fan of Parton, saying that she listens to the legend all the time. One of her favorite tracks is “Jolene,” and while listening to it on a YouTube channel, she came up with the idea of making a parody of it.
And as they say, the rest is history.
In her parody, Rickett is seen donning a white bathrobe, her hair a wild mess. She first confesses that she’s “had enough” and that she’s “gotta do something.”
Then, she sings “Jolene.” But instead of using the original lyrics, she changed “please don’t take my man” to “please come to get my man.”
“He’s big and strong, like a bear, he even has all his hair, but I cannot stand him, Jolene,” she continues.
What made the parody so much funnier are her facial expressions. It seems like Rickett could take a stab at acting, too!
“All he does is sleep and eat, I’m tired of his smelly feet, I’ve really had enough of him, Jolene.”
She then takes a sip of wine before continuing…
“This quarantine is killing me and I just can’t hardly see spending another minute with him, Jolene.”
Rickett parodied the song for three minutes, and it’s just pure entertainment. Her lyrics and facial expressions were all spot-on, making the video so enjoyable to watch.
We’re all having a rough time now in quarantine, and this parody is definitely a welcome respite.
Click on the video below to watch Garnetta Rickett’s comical version of “Jolene.” Be sure to follow her Facebook page for more of her hilarious videos.
Give your family and friends a good laugh by sharing this story!
Sadly 😩lots of domestic violence and divorces coming from too much togetherness at home during this year long pandemic. Some due to job loss and/or working at home, food insecurity, and trying to help kids with school virtually.
Anonymous
So refreshing. Love ❤️ it’.