A lot has been said about Beyoncs new Cowboy Carter album‚ and even more about her decision to put her own spin on the classic Dolly Parton single‚ Jolene.Its not the first time a modern artist has covered the song and it likely wont be the last. The controversy‚ then‚ lies in how the Grammy Award-winning singer chose to change the meaning.Fans call it a triumph‚ insisting its an example of Beyonc refusing to play the victim to a would-be man stealer. Others claim the vulnerability was the point of the song. These critics cant help but question: if Beyonce didnt agree with the central message in Jolene‚ why didnt she just write a new song?This seems like a silly question in todays era of remakes‚ reboots‚ and never-ending franchises. True originality is a rare commodity in the music industry‚ but for someone with as many accolades and devotees as Beyonc‚ one could argue that there isnt a better place for it to come from. The Single Ladies singer didnt have to worry about dealing with a woman with flaming locks of auburn hair when fans have been talking about Becky with the good hair since 2016.The original Jolene was written and recorded by Parton in 1973. It was named Rolling Stone magazines 500 greatest songs of all time and has been covered by many artists over the years with varying degrees of success. The single was nominated for the Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in both 1975 and 1976.Richard E. Aaron/RedfernsParton said the song was inspired by a red-headed bank employee who flirted with her husband‚ Carl Dean‚ when they were first married. She took the name Jolene from a fan encounter. Throughout the lyrics‚ Parton pleads with a beautiful woman not to steal her man just because she can.You could have your choice of men/but I will never love again‚ Parton pleads.The main criticism with Beyoncs cover is how she changes the entire meaning from vulnerability to aggression. The newest versions main character doesnt plead with Jolene‚ but rather threatens her with harm if she tried to steal away the man in question.Jolene‚ Jolene‚ Jolene‚ Jolene/Im warning you‚ dont come for my man/Jolene‚ Jolene‚ Jolene‚ Jolene/Dont take the chance because you think you can‚ Beyonc sings in the intro.And while the Crazy In Love singer concedes that her competition has beauty beyond compare‚ she still claims thats not enough to persuade her man away. Takes more than beauty and seductive stares/To come between a family and a happy man‚ Beyoncs lyrics say. Jolene‚ Im a woman too/Th games you play are nothing new/So you dont want no hat with me‚ Jolene.Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadioMeanwhile‚ Parton admits in her version that her man is being tempted to stray. He talks about you in his sleep/And theres nothin I can do to keep/From cryin when he calls your name‚ Jolene‚ Partons version says. And I can easily understand/How you could easily take my man/But you dont know what he means to me‚ Jolene.Beyonc tells her rival things arent so simple. Weve been deep in love for 20 years/I raised that man‚ I raised his kids/I know my man better than he knows himself (what)‚ she sings. I can easily understand why youre attracted to my man/But you dont want this smoke‚ so shoot your shot with someone else (you heard me).Later‚ Beyonc calls herself a queen and issues her final warning. Im still a Creole banjee b*tch from Louisianne (dont try me)/Theres a thousand girls in every room/That act as desperate as you do/You a bird‚ go on and sing your tune‚ Jolene (what)‚ she sings. I had to have this talk with you/Cause I hate to have to act a fool/Your peace depends on how you move‚ Jolene.Even though the whole meaning of the song is changed with Beyoncs version‚ Parton has been publicly supportive. She said as much on Instagram on March 29‚ the same day as Cowboy Carter was released. Wow‚ I just heard Jolene. Beyonc is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it! the country music legend wrote. pic.twitter.com/6hRpwERG8O Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) March 29‚ 2024Mainstream critics mostly saw the Jolene cover as harmless but forgettable. The Washington Post reviewer described the single as a lower-hanging tribute while Rolling Stone said it was cheeky and humorous even if it doesnt add much.Slate critic Carl Wilson addressed the most obvious criticism‚ saying that removing the pleading and insecurity kills the essence of the message.Why do Jolene if youre going to remove the most unique and powerful element of the song‚ that the narrator is baring her vulnerability and asking the mercy of her rival? Thats something that a post-Lemonade Beyonc could never do‚ so she reduces it to a generic boast track about the greatness of her own marriage‚ he wrote.Daily Wire podcast hosts had similar problems with Beyoncs version of Jolene. As Matt Walsh said on his April 1 show‚ What makes this song unique and interesting‚ which has caused it to resonate over the five decades since its been made‚ is the vulnerability‚ and the heartbreak‚ and the longing in the lyrics and the performance.He described the woman in Partons song as insecure‚ fearful and desperately in love with a man who she believes she cannot afford to lose.Walsh said the insecurity of the main character in Partons song is what makes her so relatable. The fact that Beyonc chose to strip it away made the song demonstrably worse.Just when you think that Beyonc might be growing ever so slightly as an artist and a person‚ she proves you wrong‚ the podcast host added. It turns out she has taken this song full of pain and yearning and emotional honesty and turned it into yet another mediocre girl boss anthem. She has‚ in other words‚ taken everything that makes the song great and replaced it with everything that makes modern pop music terrible.Walsh goes on to argue that if the beautiful woman in the song isnt a worry because Beyonc is such a perfect‚ incomparable queen‚ then the tension and longing in the song is gone‚ rendering the whole message emotionless and pointless.Daily Wire host Michael Knowles went even deeper‚ saying that Beyoncs Jolene was a statement on how modern society views marriage‚ divorce‚ and starting over after two decades of marriage.Women have a special power‚ Knowles says. They have a seductive power to them. Thats real. You gotta be on guard‚ if youre the wife‚ if youre Dolly Parton‚ or if youre the husband. We deny all this though. We deny it at our peril. Is it any wonder that the thing thats supposed to be protected‚ the marriage‚ the family‚ is falling apart?