Jolene - Janis Ian

Jimmy sits in his room 'til darkness

Then he steps on the street

And she watches and waits at the window

Aondering who he'll meet

It's a wasteland of TV dinners

It's a highway in heat

And there's nothing but time on the table

Clocking the same old beat

Jolene steps out like the life of the party

High class heels and polka dot sleeves

Wears her hair like a girl in a hurry
Walking and talking and rocking

To the beat of the street

There's a crowd at the park on the corner

Jimmy rushes to see

On the ground is a lady in labor

Jimmy forgets how to breath

And it's coming too fast for a doctor

And the traffic's obscene

And the people are panicked and shouting

Somebody do something

Jolene steps in like the life of the party

Kicks her heels off rolls up her sleeves

Parts that crowd like a girl in a hurry
Walking and talking and rocking
To the beat of the street

And she's smiling crying

Doctoring as neat as you please

People are laughing clapping

She gets up off her knees
Rolling down her sleeves

Holding up the kid so everybody can see

Jimmy offers his arm in the silence

And the night comes alive

And he drowns in her smile as the sirens

Finally arrive

There are forms to be filled say the medics

As they canvas the crowd

It was dangerous foolish and reckless

This kind of thing shouldn't be allowed

Jolene struts off like the life of the party

High class heels and polka dot sleeves

Arm in arm That's the end of the story
They're walking and talking
And they're rocking to the beat of the street