Let’s have a look at these Two for Tuesday songs:
Marty Robbins – Devil Woman
and
Dolly Parton – Jolene.
Hang in here with me. I think the songs are companion songs, and here’s why.
In the song Jolene, the woman who confronts Jolene about backing off from her man is actually the waiting-at-home wife Mary in Devil Woman. Mary begs Jolene to let him go. …You don’t know what he means to me… You can have your choice of men, but I can never love again... I’m begging of you, please don’t take my man…
We are left to our own interpretation at the end of Jolene as to whether Jolene breaks it off with Mary’s husband. Mary pleads …my happiness depends on you and whatever you decide to do…
The song Devil Woman begins with …I told Mary about us… (meaning him and Jolene). Mary forgives him and takes him back. Consequently, the man believes he’s made the right decision in breaking off his affair with Jolene ...let go of me… leave me alone… I want to go home…
But, unbeknownst to him, the women have talked. When the man tells Jolene he’s ending their affair, she’s already decided to let him go for Mary’s sake, even though she makes a showing of not wanting to let him go …woman let go of my arm…
Until next time,
Kaye Spencer
writing through history one romance upon a time