Dolly Parton Sings Vaccine Version of Jolene before Getting Her Covid-19 Shot

KOMPAS.com – American singer and songwriter Dolly Parton has written hundreds of songs over her decades-long career and it turns out her tune Jolene is the one just right for getting her Covid-19 vaccine.

"I even changed one of my songs to fit the occasion. It goes, 'Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, I'm begging of you please don't hesitate,'" the actor, singer and humanitarian sang in a social media post on Tuesday, just before receiving her shot of the Moderna vaccine.

"Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, because once you're dead, then that's a bit too late."

Also read: Indonesian Government Urged to Step Up Covid-19 Vaccine Drive

The Grammy-winning legend turned 75 this year. In 2020, she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, for coronavirus research. That money helped fund the Moderna vaccine.

Parton had earlier told the Associated Press that she was going to wait until it became more widely available because she did not want to look like she was jumping the line.

"I'm so excited. I've been waiting a while," the singer said in the video.

Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine. @VUMChealth pic.twitter.com/38kJrDzLqC

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) March 2, 2021

"I'm old enough to get it and I'm smart enough to get it. I'm trying to be funny now, but I'm dead serious about the vaccine.

"I think we all want to get back to normal, whatever that is. And that would be a great shot in the arm, wouldn't it, if we could get back to that?”

"But anyhow, I just wanted to encourage everybody because the sooner we get to feeling better, the sooner we are going to get back to being normal."

Parton wore a purple shirt with shoulder cutouts just for the occasion and a matching purple mask. The medic who administered the shot, an old friend of the singer's, praised Parton for urging Americans to get the vaccine.

Parton put on a typical show, laughing and cracking jokes with the doctor and making sure her hair was looking good.

"That didn't hurt. Just stung a little bit," she said afterward, before turning to the camera and saying, "I did it! I did it!"