The letter notes below are for “Jolene” which was released in 1973. It was both written and performed by American country singer Dolly Parton, Rolling Stone named it one of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.
“Jolene” has been covered numerous times by many artists across all genres, including The White Stripes, Pentatonix, Olivia Newton-John, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Ellie Goulding, Miley Cyrus, Katy B, The Sisters of Mercy, Mumford & Sons and many other musicians, it has also been featured in Glee 🙂
C – C D-D# G-F Bb-^C-Bb-G
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene ~
G G-F F F
I’m beggin’ of you
F D# D D# D-C
Please don’t take my man…
C – C D-D# G-F Bb-^C-Bb-G
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene ~
G F F F
Please don’t take him
F D#-D D# D-C-.B-C
Just because you can…
C C-C C D-D# D#-D#
Your beauty is beyond compare
F F – F F F G-G G
With flaming locks of auburn hair
G G-G F
With ivory skin
F F D D#-D C
And eyes of emerald green
C C C C D D# D# D#
Your smile is like the breath of spring
F F F F F G – G G
Your voice is soft like summer rain
G G G-G
And I cannot
F – F D D# D-C
Compete with you, Jolene
C C C-C D D# D# D#
He talks about you in his sleep
F F – F F F G G G
There’s nothing I can do to keep
G G-G F
From crying when
F F D D# D-C
He calls your name, Jolene
C C C-C D-D D#-D#-D#
And I could easily understand
F F F F – F G G G
How you could easily take my man
G G G F
But you don’t know
F F F D D# D-C
What he means to me, Jolene
C – C D-D# G-F Bb-^C-Bb-G
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene ~
G G-F F F
I’m beggin’ of you
F D# D D# D-C
Please don’t take my man…
C – C D-D# G-F Bb-^C-Bb-G
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene ~
G F F F
Please don’t take him
F D#-D D# D-C-.B-C
Just because you can…