Jeane
Billy Bragg Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jeane
The low-life has lost its appeal
And I'm tired of walking these streets
To a room with a cupboard bare

Jeane
I'm not sure what happiness means
But I look in your eyes
And I know that it isn't there

We tried, we failed
We tried, and we failed
We tried, and we failed
We tried, and we failed
We tried

Jeane
There's ice on the sink where we bathe
So how can you call this a home
When you know it's a grave?

But you still hold a greedy grace
As you tidy the place
But it'll never be clean
Jeane

We tried, we failed
We tried, and we failed
We tried, and we failed
We tried, and we failed
We tried

Oh, cash on the nail
It's just a fairytale
Oh, and I don't believe in magic anymore
Jeane

But I think you know
I really think you know
Oh, I think you know the truth
Jeane, oh

No heavenly choir
Not for me and not for you
Because I think that you know
I really think you know
I think you know the truth
Oh, Jeane

That we tried, and we failed
That we tried, and we failed
We tried, and we failed




We tried, and we failed
Oh, oh, Jeane

Overall Meaning

The song “Jeane” by Billy Bragg is a heart-wrenching musing on the loss and failure of love. As Bragg laments, the low-life has lost its allure, and the banal miseries of poverty-- an empty cupboard, an icy sink -- have taken over. The titular “Jeane” stands in as a sort of avatar of lost love, an anchor in the midst of all the hardship. Though Bragg is sure he doesn’t know what happiness means, he looks to her, hoping to find it in her eyes. But alas, it isn’t there. The pair have tried and failed, and try as they might it seems they just can’t get it right. In the end, Bragg seems to say, they are left with nothing but the barren truth: they tried, and they failed. There’s no fairy tale ending, no magical solution.


Bragg’s lyrics in “Jeane” are raw and vulnerable, speaking to the universal experiences of heartbreak and disappointment. The song’s straightforwardness echoes its sincerity, rendering the heartbreak all the more palpable. Ultimately, the song serves as a testament to the tumultuous nature of love, and the ways it often falls short.


Line by Line Meaning

Jeane
The beginning of the song where the singer addresses Jeane.


The low-life has lost its appeal
The singer explains how they are tired of their current way of life.


And I'm tired of walking these streets
The singer is physically exhausted from wandering around with no clear direction.


To a room with a cupboard bare
The artist's living conditions are inadequate, as they don't have any food to eat.


I'm not sure what happiness means
The artist is confused about the concept of happiness.


But I look in your eyes
The one positive thing in the singer's life is their connection with Jeane.


And I know that it isn't there
However, even that connection is not enough to bring them true happiness.


We tried, we failed
The artist and Jeane have attempted to make things work in the past, but to no avail.


There's ice on the sink where we bathe
The living conditions are so bad that even the water is frozen.


So how can you call this a home
The artist questions whether it's fair to even refer to their living situation as a home.


When you know it's a grave?
The singer believes that their current living conditions will inevitably lead to their death.


But you still hold a greedy grace
Despite their situation, Jeane still manages to maintain her composure and grace.


As you tidy the place
Jeane takes care of their living area, even though it's a lost cause.


But it'll never be clean
However, no amount of cleaning can fix the bigger issues at hand.


Oh, cash on the nail
The singer uses this phrase to refer to the idea of having money readily available whenever needed.


It's just a fairytale
The artist believes that having that kind of financial security is a pipe dream.


Oh, and I don't believe in magic anymore
The artist has lost their sense of hope and optimism.


But I think you know
Despite this, the singer believes that Jeane understands them on a deeper level.


I really think you know
The singer is certain that Jeane truly understands how they feel.


No heavenly choir
The artist uses this phrase to refer to the idea of a happy ending.


Not for me and not for you
The artist believes that they will never be able to achieve true happiness, despite their connection with Jeane.


Because I think that you know
The artist reiterates their belief that Jeane truly understands their situation.


I really think you know the truth
Jeane is aware of the harsh reality of their situation.


Oh, Jeane
The song ends with the artist addressing Jeane one final time.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Marr, Steven Patrick Morrissey

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found