What sort of person could this “Jolene” be that she could steal a man from Dolly Parton—a blond bombshell with huge splazoinkas who was at the height of her desirability when this song was released?
Maybe the heroine isn't Dolly Parton? And perhaps she is just being paranoid. There was an artist (can't remember her name) who made a response song to 'Jolene' in which Jolene urges Dolly's heroine to leave her husband.
I speak for myself when I say no matter how hot a woman is, her man will eventually get tired of her. In the song, she points out that Jolene is better-looking than she is.
Dolly Parton has spoken about this many times. Jolene was a tall, voluptuous, red-headed bank teller who constantly flirted with Dolly's husband, and this happened way back in the early days of Dolly Parton's marriage. If you've ever seen a picture of Dolly from back in those days, you know she was a cute, small-breasted brunette. Personally, I think she looked perfectly adorable (and her husband must've because he married her!), but she wasn't the Dolly Parton we know and love today. And, I mean, I guess her husband's a very patient man because not only did Jolene not succeed, no one else did and 45 years later, they're still together. (Aww.) The bank teller's name wasn't actually Jolene though; the name came from a redheaded girl who asked her for an autograph, and Dolly popped the name in a song because she liked the way it sounded.