“I Asked Her to Change Two Words”: Dolly Parton’s Secret Request to Beyoncé That Redefined “Jolene”

When Beyoncé released her country-inspired album Cowboy Carter in 2024, one song stood out immediately — her bold reimagining of Dolly Parton’s iconic 1973 hit “Jolene.” But behind the scenes, a quiet exchange between two of music’s most powerful women shaped that transformation — and ultimately silenced skeptics who doubted Beyoncé’s place in country music.

The key? A subtle but seismic two-word change that turned a decades-old plea into a modern declaration of strength.

From Plea to Power

In the original “Jolene,” Dolly Parton’s narrator begs another woman not to take her partner, her voice soft but desperate:

“Please don’t take my man just because you can.”

It’s one of the most famous lines in country music — tender, vulnerable, and deeply human. But when Beyoncé revisited the song, she flipped its emotional core, changing the tone from fear to confidence. Her version replaced the plea with a warning:

“Don’t take the chance because you think you can.”

The switch from “take my man” to “take the chance” — and the insertion of “think” — shifted the story’s perspective entirely. Instead of pleading for mercy, Beyoncé’s narrator is asserting control, delivering a confident, clear-eyed message: try it, and you’ll regret it.

It was, as Parton herself later explained, “a completely different take — hers was more like, ‘You’re not getting him; you’re going to have to go through me.’ Mine was more like, ‘Please don’t take him!’”

Dolly’s Blessing: A Country Legend Passes the Torch

Parton’s endorsement of Beyoncé’s version was as emphatic as it was strategic. Long celebrated for supporting other women in music, she didn’t just approve of the change — she encouraged it. “I asked her to change two words,” Parton reportedly told friends, “because those words make all the difference.”

Her approval proved crucial at a time when some traditionalist corners of country radio were slow to embrace Beyoncé’s foray into the genre. By publicly backing the remake — and even appearing in a cameo on Cowboy Carter — Parton effectively validated the project’s authenticity.

In a playful interlude titled “Dolly P,” Parton introduces “JOLENE” while referencing Beyoncé’s infamous “Becky with the good hair” lyric from Lemonade, linking the two songs and eras in a witty, self-aware way.

It wasn’t just collaboration; it was cross-generational storytelling — two women, two eras, one anthem.

“Cowboy Carter” and the Reinvention of Country

Beyoncé’s “JOLENE” quickly became a defining moment on Cowboy Carter, which blended traditional country instrumentation with modern production and themes of empowerment. The album challenged genre boundaries and cultural expectations, reclaiming the space for Black women in country music history — a space that artists like Parton and Beyoncé both recognized needed widening.

For critics who had questioned Beyoncé’s ability to “belong” in country music, Dolly’s co-sign — and her visible enthusiasm for the reinterpretation — ended the debate. “She did it her way,” Parton said proudly. “And I loved it.”

A New Classic for a New Generation

In the end, what began as a respectful cover became something much bigger — a dialogue between two icons about how women’s voices, and their portrayals, evolve over time.

Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” may have been a cry of vulnerability in 1973, but Beyoncé’s 2024 version turned it into an anthem of confidence and agency. And with just two changed words, the message for women everywhere was transformed — from “Please don’t take him” to “Don’t even try.”

Sometimes, rewriting history only takes a few words — and the courage to sing them differently.