Jolene – English Lyrics

• By: Pentatonix, Dolly Parton

Lyrics & Translation

Learn about the emotional depth of American country music through this unique collaboration. The song's simple, direct language and compelling narrative of love and jealousy offer a great opportunity for English language learners to connect with a powerful story in music.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
begging /ˈbɛɡɪŋ/ B1	verb - to ask earnestly or desperately
please /pliːz/ A2	verb - to make polite or favorable
take /teɪk/ A2	verb - to get into one's hands or possession verb - to accept or receive
beauty /ˈbjuːti/ B1	noun - the quality of being aesthetically pleasing
compare /kəmˈpɛər/ B2	verb - to examine differences and similarities
locks /lɒks/ B2	noun - a section of hair arranged or fastened together
auburn /ˈɔːbərn/ B2	adjective - a reddish-brown hair color
skin /skɪn/ A2	noun - the outer covering of the body
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs of sight used for seeing
smile /smaɪl/ A2	noun - a facial expression indicating happiness or amusement
spring /sprɪŋ/ B1	noun - a season between winter and summer
voice /vɔɪs/ A2	noun - the sound produced by a person's vocal cords

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm begging of you

  ➔ Present Continuous with a heightened emotional tone.

  ➔ Using the Present Continuous, "I'm begging", emphasizes the urgency and desperation of the plea. While grammatically similar to other present continuous sentences, the context makes it emotionally charged. The preposition "of" is less common now and could be replaced with "you" ("I'm begging you"), it adds slightly to the archaic feel of the song.

• Your beauty is beyond compare

  ➔ Simple Present with adjectival phrase denoting an extreme quality.

  ➔ "Beyond compare" is an idiomatic adjectival phrase meaning incomparable or unparalleled. The Simple Present indicates a general truth or state of being.

• There's nothing I can do to keep from crying

  ➔ Existential "there is/are" + pronoun + relative clause + infinitive of purpose + phrasal verb

  ➔ This sentence uses the existential construction "there's" (there is) followed by a relative clause "I can do" which modifies "nothing". "To keep from crying" is an infinitive of purpose explaining why there is nothing she can do. "Keep from" is a phrasal verb.

• How you could easily take my man

  ➔ Indirect Question with modal verb.

  ➔ This is an example of an indirect question embedded within a larger statement. It uses "how" to introduce the clause, and the word order is subject-verb ("you could"), typical of indirect questions. "Could" expresses possibility.

• Please don't take him just Because you can

  ➔ Imperative sentence (negative) + subordinate clause introduced by "because".

  ➔ "Please don't take him" is a negative imperative, directly commanding the listener to not do something. "Just because you can" is a subordinate clause explaining the (unacceptable) reason for taking him.

• But I could never love again

  ➔ Compound sentence using 'but' as a coordinating conjunction + modal verb 'could' expressing impossibility in the future.

  ➔ The word 'but' connects the previous statement to this one creating a contrast. The modal verb 'could' expresses that it is impossible for her to love again. 'Never' reinforces the impossibility.

• My happiness depends on you

  ➔ Simple Present tense expressing a general truth/dependence

  ➔ This sentence is in the Simple Present tense to indicate a state that generally exists. The phrase "depends on" indicates that her happiness is conditional on Jolene's actions.