Ever wonder what inspired Dolly Parton to pen the hit song “Jolene”? Often deemed “the original diss track,” most assume the lyrics were written out of spite toward a cheating partner. But the truth is “Jolene” is actually based on a running joke between Dolly and her husband, Carl Dean, to whom she’s been faithfully married for over 50 years.
The story behind “Jolene” is that every time Dolly went to the bank with Carl, a red-headed bank teller would always flirt with him. “He just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us.”