The White Stripes -Jolene

Dear sweet Jack,

As honoured as I am, y’all, that you chose to cover one of my songs, I thought I would write you this l’il note in the hope that you may understand more about woman and love. Cos it seems to me like you don’t know a damn thang ‘bout the two.

When I wrote Jolene in ‘73 , it was at a time of equal rights protests, of women’s liberation, the end of many a struggle for human rights. A woman can fight so hard for the thing’s she believes in, but when it comes to fighting for love, a woman does not take to the battlefield, she does not arm herself with her fists or harsh words and anger.

So Jack, your screaming out Jolene’s name, y’all hollering and demanding that a woman does as you tell her, that may be the way a man tries to win a woman back into his arms. But that sure ain’t the way a woman operates. Oh no Jack, we’re a lot smarter than that y’all. Smarter than a cheese eating cat breathing down a rat-hole. A woman will protect her honour and her family in more subtle ways, Jack. She may lose some of her pride and dignity but will gain so much more through the sacrifice made to keep it together for her family.

So, sweet Jack, how about you leave the love songs alone and sing some more good songs about wardrobe malfunctions [see Hardest Button to Button].

From the bosom of my heart,
Dolly