Dolly Parton sang “Jolene” with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus and the stunning vocal group Pentatonix on the The Voice. It predictably wowed the crowd and reminded people not only of Dolly Parton’s power as a performer, but also her prowess as a songwriter. Parton has written more than 3,000 songs and is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Among those “Jolene” is probably her most famous.
Indeed the bones and structure of “Jolene” are so strong that the song can withstand almost any treatment. In fact, years ago a “new” version of “Jolene” circulated on the Internet. It was a slow, haunting version believed by many to be sung by a man. It wasn’t — it was actually Dolly Parton’s version, played back at a much slower speed. Below is “Jolene” slowed down, and below that is Dolly, Miley and Pentatonix.
