something_ignites: Bubbline - Marceline carrying PB (0)
something_ignites ([personal profile] something_ignites) wrote in [community profile] jukebox_fest 2023-02-15 06:56 pm (UTC)

Song or music video: "Jolene" - Dolly Parton

Listen/watch link: Original / Lil Nas X Cover

Lyrics:
You could have your choice of men
But I could never love again
He's the only one for me, Jolene
I had to have this talk with you
My happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do, Jolene

https://genius.com/Dolly-parton-jolene-lyrics

Additional prompt: Unrequited love; that liminal space where he's slipping through your fingers but not gone yet. This song is so beautiful and haunting, that I just want to linger in that feeling of a heart slowly breaking.

What feels so powerful about this song for me is that it's still in the "inciting action" phase of the narrative - we're not at the climax, where the narrator confronts them, or at the end, where the narrator is picking up the pieces of her broken heart. Instead, she's watching a slow-moving trainwreck here, one that she knows she doesn't have the power to stop, but ostensibly still could, because he hasn't actually left yet. That part of unrequited love, of witnessing your love fall out of love with you? Please give me more of that ouch!

Post a comment in response:

If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting