“Jolene” is Dolly Parton’s 1973 country masterpiece — a song that has become one of the most universally beloved and frequently covered songs in modern music, with versions by everyone from The White Stripes to Beyoncé. Its emotional power comes from a striking simplicity: just three chords (Am, C, G) cycling through a desperate minor-key progression that lets the lyrics and Dolly’s vocal do all the heavy lifting.
Capo on the 4th fret matches the original recording’s pitch, but it’s optional; without the capo you’ll play in true A minor.
The intro features one of the most iconic fingerpicked guitar parts in country music — short, simple, and instantly recognizable. I’ve included the basic pattern below.
The Chords You’ll Need
Chord Chart
Intro Am e|---------------------------------| B|-------0-----0h1---0-----1p0-----| G|---2---------------------------0-| D|-----2-------0h2-----0-------0---| (x4) A|-0-------0-------0-------0-------| E|---------------------------------| Chorus 1 Am C G Am Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene G Am I'm begging of you, please don't take my man Am C G Am Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene G Am Please don't take him just because you can Verse 1 Am C Your beauty is beyond compare G Am With flaming locks of auburn hair G Am With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green Am C Your smile is like a breath of spring G Am Your voice is soft like summer rain G Am And I cannot compete with you, Jolene Verse 2 Am C He talks about you in his sleep G Am There's nothing I can do to keep G Am From crying when he calls your name, Jolene Am C And I can easily understand G Am How you could easily take my man G Am But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene Chorus 2 Am C G Am Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene G Am I'm begging of you, please don't take my man Am C G Am Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene G Am Please don't take him just because you can Verse 3 Am C You could have your choice of men G Am But I could never love again G Am He's the only one for me, Jolene Am C I had to have this talk with you G Am My happiness depends on you G Am And whatever you decide to do, Jolene Chorus 3 Am C G Am Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene G Am I'm begging of you, please don't take my man Am C G Am Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene G Am Please don't take him even though you can
About the iconic intro lick
The fingerpicked Am lick that opens the song is one of the most recognizable
guitar parts in country music. The “h” in the tab marks a hammer-on (e.g. 0h1
means pick the open string, then hammer onto fret 1), and the “p” marks a
pull-off. The pattern repeats four times before the chorus drops in. Optional —
strumming Am works just fine if the picking isn’t ready yet.
About the song’s simplicity
The entire song uses just three chords (Am, C, G) cycling through the same
progression in every verse and chorus. That minimalism is the source of the song’s
devastating emotional power — simple ingredients carrying enormous weight, with all
the storytelling left to the lyrics and the vocal.
Practice Tips
- The chord progression Am → C → G → Am is the entire song. Master that loop on its own and you’ve got every verse and chorus.
- The intro lick is iconic but optional. If the picking and hammer-ons feel overwhelming, just strum the Am — the song still works perfectly.
- The chorus hook is the song’s most famous moment — that four-times-repeated “Jolene.” Don’t rush it. The repetition is what makes the desperation land.
- This song is at its most powerful when delivered with restraint. Resist the urge to over-sing or over-strum; the simplicity is the point.