Beyoncé took Dolly Parton‘s most famous hit about begging a woman to stay away from her man and switched it up — going on the offensive … and invoking the notorious “Becky.”
It was one of many surprises on Bey’s new album “Cowboy Carter” — with her track “Jolene” not necessarily being a pure cover of DP’s iconic song … but more so a remix, where she drastically changed the lyrics and shifted the focus over who the song is really about.
Whereas Dolly’s version is quite literally pleading with a woman named Jolene — who’s portrayed as a beauty who’s seducing Dolly’s fictional husband — Bey did the opposite … and fired off warning shots to this “Jolene” and told her to steer clear from her own hubby.
Beyonce sings … “You’re beautiful, beyond compare // Takes more than beauty and seductive stares // To come between a family and a happy man // Jolene, I’m a woman too // Thе games you play are nothing new // So you don’t want no hеat with me, Jolene.”
If it sounds like Beyonce is going after a particular lady here — well, you’d be correct … something Dolly herself alludes to in an interlude that comes before the song … where she notes that Beyonce’s fury is aimed at a fictional woman named Becky, a la “Lemonade.”
Remember … Beyonce dedicated a good portion of that album to the notion that another woman was trying to come between her and Jay-Z … and it blurred the line between fake vs. real.
This was probably the biggest surprise on the album … but there were lots of others too.
Her collabs with Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus and Post Malone have all been highly praised — and the album at large is getting a ton of love, especially for its unique approach to country.
There’s one other tidbit that folks are latching onto from the record — namely, the fact that Bey seems bent out of shape over the fact she hasn’t won the coveted Album of the Year Grammy … something Jay himself recently spotlighted, and which she does as well on ‘CC.’
She sings this lyric on “SWEET HONEY BUCKIIN” … “A-O-T-Y, I ain’t win (Let’s go) / I ain’t stung by them / Take that s*** on the chin / Come back and f*** up the pen.”
Obviously, she’s just gonna keep it moving and keep on cranking out music … and not let the Grammy snubs bother her, even though it’s clearly on her mind since she referenced it here. Considering how widely beloved this new album seems to be, ya gotta wonder if this will win.
Big day in music, and big day in the country scene … Beyonce’s out here shaking it up!
