Dolly Parton loved the surprising way Beyoncé changed up ‘Jolene’

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — Dolly Parton thinks Beyoncé’s take on her classic song “Jolene” is “bold” breath of spring.

Parton talked about the pop star’s rendition of the tune for ”Cowboy Carter” in a recent interview with “E! News.”

“Well, I think it was very bold of her,” Parton said during an interview at Dollywood’s new Dolly Parton Experience. “When they said she was gonna do ‘Jolene,’ I expected it to be my regular one, but it wasn’t. But I love what she did to it. And as a songwriter, you love the fact that people do your songs no matter how they do them.”

Beyoncé’s version of Parton’s 1973 classic flips the script on the original in which Parton beseeches another woman to not steal her man.

“She wasn’t gonna go beg some other woman like I did,” Parton said, laughing. “‘Don’t steal my man.’ ‘S**t, get out here, b***h. You ain’t stealin’ mine.’”

Parton said she’s “proud” of Beyoncé’s country album on which Parton is featured.

“I thought she did a great job in country music, and I thought it was great. And I was just happy she did ‘Jolene.’ I, of course, would have loved to have heard how she would have done it in its original way,” Parton said. “But of course, you know, it’s Beyoncé. Yeah, her life is different than mine.”

The country legend said she and Bey talked after the album came out and all is well. So good in fact, Parton said she would be happy to duet with her at the next Grammy Awards ceremony should the opportunity present itself.

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