ridenour enc3433 project 1.docx

8/21/2019 Ridenour ENC3433 Project 1.docx

1/8

Song Analysis

“Jolene” was originally written in 1974, and performed by Dolly

Parton. It was induted into t!e "rammy #all of $ame in %&14, and

elebrated its 41st anni'ersary on $ebruary %, %&1(. )!e inspiration

for t!e song ame from a sultry ban* teller t!at Parton+s !usband !ad

a irtatious a-air wit!. )!e name Jolene is ompletely irrele'ant to t!e

story itself. Dolly met a young fan at a signing wit! beautiful auburn

!air and stunning green eyes. !en s!e said !er name was Jolene

Dolly deided t!at s!e would name a song after !er. Dolly insists t!e

song is not as !ea'y !earted as it seems to be, but t!e musi industry

learly begs to di-er. /0itale )!ere are many o'ers of Jolene, but

none as !aunting as )!e !ite 2tripes li'e 'ersion on t!e 3nder

la*pool 5ig!ts D0D.

)!e !ite 2tripes !a'e reser'ed some of t!eir best talent to

rein'ent “Jolene” for a new audiene. )!ey ta*e t!e onte6t of a song

t!at was written during a time t!at e6tra marital a-airs were ommon,

and onfrontations often went unspo*en. omen !ad a ertain image

to up!old in t!e ommunity as well as in t!e !ome. )!e !ite 2tripes

strip t!e song down to its roots, and let t!e emotions run wild. Ja*

!ite !as stated in an inter'iew wit! P8, I t!oug!t to ta*e t!e

!arater and !ange t!e onte6t and ma*e t!is red:!eaded woman

my girlfriend, and t!at s!e;s !eating on me wit! one of my friends.


2/8

)!en, t!at would be w!at I ould really get emotionally atta!ed to.

/0itale #e deeg !ite !as little te!nial ability on t!e drums, but for “Jolene” !er

la* of te!niality is w!at *eeps t!e song true to t!e original. During

t!e 'erses s!e maintains only lig!t ras!ing of t!e symbol, w!ile Ja*

arries t!e melody on t!e guitar and wit! 'oals. )!e seond and

fourt! !orus is w!ere >eg s!ows t!at w!ere s!e la*s te!niality s!e


3/8

draws on raw power. 2!e arries Ja* t!roug! t!e !orus as if s!e is

t!e strong !eartbeat of t!e !arater. )!e perussion e6ists purely to

s!owase and ompliment !ite+s 'oals and guitar. In t!e beginning,

t!e guitar maintains t!is soft g!ostly feel until t!e seond !orus.

!ere t!e melody ta*es on a sort of on'ersation. 5ow notes wit! a

growling tone arry t!e song t!roug! t!e 'erses. !en t!e !orus !its,

t!e guitar beomes !ea'y and pronouned. Ja* uses a lot of

distortion to portray t!e agony t!at t!is person must be feeling at t!e

potential loss of lo'e to t!is sedutress. )!e 'enue and aoustis gi'e

t!e song a lassi underground feel. )!ere is t!is !ollow open sound

furt!er allowing t!e musi to feel empty and inomplete. )!e musial

arrangements )!e !ite 2tripes !a'e applied to “Jolene” establis!

t!eir et!os as =uintessential garage ro* band musiians. )!e song is

gritty and unpolis!ed w!i! lends to t!e dept! of t!e !arater

spea*ing to “Jolene”. )!ey are bro*en pleading for t!eir lo'e, and

per!aps e'en t!eir life.

“Jolene” begins wit! Ja* oming in soft and pleading on t!e

!orus. ?s t!e audiene you immediately !ear t!e distress in !is 'oie.

!ite *eeps t!e original lyris and musiality pretty mu! intat, but

slays t!e 'oals allowing !im to fous on e6pressing t!e !arater

purely t!roug! t!e tone of t!e song. Parton ta*es a mournful approa!

to t!e !arater. @reating t!e image of a woman t!at is !olding it all


4/8

toget!er. 2!e is politely as*ing for “Jolene” to step ba* and reonsider

!er ations. Ja* reates a !arater t!at is wroug!t wit! agony and

de'astation. Ja* !as no s!ame in sending t!e !arater almost to t!e

point of psy!oti brea*s wit! t!e tone of t!e lyris. )!e lyrial

'ariation wor*s well wit! t!e onte6t of t!e song, and still does Austie

to Parton+s original. 8olling stone !as said, “? lesser band would

ollapse under t!e weig!t of a lassi, but !ite;s past:e6orising

'oal is one of !is best.” /Joye

Design Analysis

!en t!in*ing about design for t!is partiular song I wanted to

on'ey t!e !eartbrea* and anguis! t!e !arater of t!e song is

e6periening. I also wanted to pay tribute to t!e original 'ersion, in t!e

same way t!at Ja* does. I deided t!at I would use typograp!y in

order to set t!e mood of t!e image. it! t!e guidane of t!e @8?P

design system I was able to analyBe t!e layout of my doument to

ensure e-eti'eness in a!ie'ing my r!etorial goals for t!is design.

I began my analysis by listening to Dolly Parton+s 'ersion of

“Jolene”, and t!en listening to )!e !ite 2tripes 'ersion se'eral times.

I wanted to spot di-erenes as well as similarities in t!e two songs. I


5/8

wrote down a list of feelings for ea! tra* to ompare and ontrast. I

*new t!at I would need to


6/8

t!e lyri “Jolene” t!at represented t!e pain t!at Ja* emitted t!roug!

!is 'oals. I opted for a font alled, “o $ear”. !i! is =uite funny

onsidering it loo*s li*e despair. It is a bold font wit! s!arp edges.

!en used on t!e lyri “Jolene” you don+t get t!e feeling t!at s!e is a

warm and in'iting woman. “o $ear” ma*es t!e name loo* old and

!ardened. )!e last line in )!e !ite 2tripes o'er is, “please don+t

ta*e !im e'en t!oug! you an.” Ja* sounds as if !e+s saying t!is wit!

!is last breat!e of life, and t!ere is no more


7/8

t!at Ja* !as !osen to ma*e !is own. #e pro'ides raw power and

emotion w!en !owling t!is line. I wanted to s!owase !is ontrasting

tone t!roug!out t!e song diretly t!roug! t!e font. I paired two intense

lyris wit! one anot!er to s!ow t!eir ontrast in tone. )!e deisions

t!at Ja* ma*es wit! tone !a'e e'eryt!ing to do wit! t!e o'er being

as suessful as it is. #e wasn+t afraid to ta*e t!e song to t!e dept!s of

despair, and I !ose to s!ow t!at by ma*ing t!at despair t!e foal

point of t!e piee.

Sources


8/8

Joye, @olin. Ja* !ite;s 1( est @o'er 2ongs. 8ollingstone. %1 >ay%&14. eb. 7 $eb. %&1(.!ttpEFFwww.rollingstone.omFmusiFpituresFAa*:w!ites:1(:best:o'er:songs:%&14&(%1G.

>@ollum, rian. ati'e Detroiter Ja* !ite $inds )rue ort! inas!'ille. )!e )ennessean. %H July %&14. eb. 7 $eb. %&1(.!ttpEFFwww.tennessean.omFstoryFentertainmentFmusiF%&14F&7F%HFnati'e:detroiter:Aa*:w!ite:

ridenour enc3433 project 1.docx

Documents