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September 12, 2005

Jolene, Jolene

Okay, after spending too many wee hours looking for guitar tabs and chords I have decided that my "exam" song in Guitar class is going to be country...Jolene by Dolly Parton.

Now that's definitely a song that no other student will pick. I don't think that was ever one of my Dolly Parton faves. I was always a big fan of "Two Doors Down". And I remember being a little girl and watching Dolly on TV. I used to love when she would sing "Here You Come Again" even though it always almost made me cry. Now that is what you call a Country song. Classic.

Last month I found myself walking past Radio City Music Hall and happened to notice that Dolly would be playing there the next week. I looked briefly at the poster of Dolly and thought how nice it might be to see her in concert. I'd never been to Radio City either. But I never get to go to concerts. And right then, with Grandma's party, September Project, and the Triathlon, how could I find the time?

Ever since High School when I first bought tickets to George Michael, and then later Madonna I've had bad karma with concerts. I ended up re-selling those tickets (at face value, thank you) because I had a rehearsal for a play or a musical or some such. Yes. I was the idiot who missed out on the Like a Virgin tour because I didn't want to miss a rehearsal playing the old lady in "Anything Goes".

That weekend though, I went rafting with some pals in the Poconos. Now that was a certified good-time! The river was kind of low but the scenery was beautiful and rafting itself was really fun. I bummed a ride with two of my rafting buddies, friends of friends I'd met once or twice at parties and such. On the ride home (during a monstor thunderstorm I might add) I discovered I had fallen in with a bonofide Dolly Parton officianado. He had been in Nashville for a time as an aspiring writer. His partner, who was driving the car, was in Nashville working for a talent agency. They KNEW their Dolly Parton. I heard her blue-grass version of "Stairway to Heaven", and MeShell Ndege'Ocello's cover of "Two Doors Down". (I also found out that they were friends with Don Schlitz who penned the mantra song "The Gambler" as well as "On the Other Hand" (a song to which I flipped my cute little Hyundai Hatchback in college.)

I came away from that trip with a really smelly bathing suit (We saw a dead fish in the water.) and a new resolve to try to see Dolly at Radio City. I convinced Gentleman Caller to come with me. On that Thursday night, around 8:00pm I found myself sitting in Radio City waiting for Dolly.

Being her Vintage Tour, she played all the classics (but alas no Stairway to Heaven.) She hasn't missed a beat. I had seen a PBS program featuring Heart where Ann Wilson's voice was woefully out of shape. I attributed it to the inevitable changes of aging. Dolly Parton though was as good as her first recording. The voice, her carriage; everything belied her many years of a life on the stage. There isn't an instrument that woman doesn't play. When the curtain opens you see a semicircle of guitars, harps, more guitars, and other instruments just waiting for their cameo in Dolly's arms. I'm glad I didn't miss it.

So in homage to Dolly, because the song has really grown on me, and because it happens to be with chords I know how to play, I'll be playing and singing "Jolene" for my final guitar lesson tonight at 7:00. Dolly, this one's for you!

Posted by mermu at September 12, 2005 02:37 AM

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