Dolly Parton - Jolene
Hello! Below you'll find my "Jolene" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
This song by Dolly Parton is a total classic. It's a great one to learn on piano because the chord progression and rhythms are mostly quite straightforward.
Enjoy!
Jolene Piano Tutorial
Here's a piano tutorial video for Jolene:
Jolene Chords & Lyrics
[Intro]
| C#m | C#m | C#m | C#m |
| C#m | C#m | C#m | C#m |
[Chorus]
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
Please don't take him just because you can
[Verse]
C#m E
Your beauty is beyond compare
B/D# C#m
With flaming locks of auburn hair
B C#m
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
C#m E
Your smile is like a breath of spring
B/D# C#m
Your voice is soft like summer rain
B C#m
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene
C#m E
He talks about you in his sleep
B/D# C#m
There's nothing I can do to keep
B C#m
From crying when he calls your name, Jolene
C#m E
And I can easily understand
B/D# C#m
How you could easily take my man
C#m E
Your beauty is beyond compare
B/D# C#m
With flaming locks of auburn hair
B C#m
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
C#m E
Your smile is like a breath of spring
B/D# C#m
Your voice is soft like summer rain
B C#m
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene
C#m E
He talks about you in his sleep
B/D# C#m
There's nothing I can do to keep
B C#m
From crying when he calls your name, Jolene
C#m E
And I can easily understand
B/D# C#m
How you could easily take my man
B C#m
But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene
But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene
[Chorus]
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
Please don't take him just because you can
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
Please don't take him just because you can
[Verse 3]
C#m E
You could have your choice of men
B/D# C#m
But I could never love again
B C#m
He's the only one for me, Jolene
C#m E
I had to have this talk with you
B/D# C#m
My happiness depends on you
B C#m
And whatever you decide to do, Jolene
C#m E
You could have your choice of men
B/D# C#m
But I could never love again
B C#m
He's the only one for me, Jolene
C#m E
I had to have this talk with you
B/D# C#m
My happiness depends on you
B C#m
And whatever you decide to do, Jolene
[Chorus]
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
Please don't take him even though you can
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
C#m E B C#m
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
B C#m
Please don't take him even though you can
[Outro]
| C#m | C#m | C#m | C#m |
Jolene...Jolene...
| C#m | C#m | C#m | C#m |
Jolene...Jolene...
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
Jolene Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "Jolene" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.
3. Simplify if need be: "Jolene" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
