Sweet Jane
Lou Reed Lyrics
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Suitcase in my hand
Jack's in his car, says to Jane, who's in her vest
Me, honey, I'm in a rock n' roll band
Ridin' in a Stutz Bearcat, Jim
Those were different times
They studied rows of verse
And all the ladies rolled their eyes
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Jack, he is a banker
Jane, she is a clerk
And the both of them are saving up their money
Then they come home from work
Sittin' by the fire
Radio just played a little classical music for you kids
The march of the wooden soldiers
And you can hear Jack say
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Some people like to go out dancing
And other people, (like us) they gotta work
And there's always some evil mothers
They'll tell you that life is just made out of dirt
And the women never really faint
Oh the villains always blink their eyes
And the children are the only ones who blush
And life is just to die
But, anyone who has a heart
Wouldn't want to turn around and break it
And anyone who ever played the part
He wouldn't want to turn around and fake it
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Aw now that's sweet Jane
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane, sweet Jane
"Sweet Jane" by Lou Reed is a song with a seemingly simple structure, but its lyrics carry a lot of depth underneath. The song is about the lives of ordinary people, Jack, Jane, and the singer, and how they navigate the challenges of life. The opening lines set the scene for the song; the singer is standing on a corner with a suitcase in hand, Jack's in his car with Jane, and the singer is in a rock n' roll band. The chorus of "Sweet Jane" follows, with the repetition of the phrase "Sweet Jane" anchoring the song's meaning to the warmth and affection that the singer and Jack have for Jane.
The second verse then introduces Jack as a banker and Jane as a clerk who are saving up their money while they sit by the fire listening to classical music on the radio. The singer brings in a note of cynicism with the lines "And some people like to go out dancing / And other people (like us) they gotta work," which captures the sense of longing for an easy life that is out of reach for most people. The final verse then slips into a more philosophical tone, with the singer musing on the nature of life and the futility of pretending to be something you're not. The lines "And anyone who ever played a part / wouldn't want to turn around and fake it" carry the weight of a lifetime of hard work and disappointment.
Overall, "Sweet Jane" is a song that captures the struggles and joys of ordinary life in its lyrics, and its repetitive structure and catchy chorus make it a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Standin' on a corner
I am standing on a street corner.
Suitcase in my hand
I am holding a suitcase.
Jack's in his car, says to Jane, who's in her vest
Jack is driving his car and speaking to Jane, who is wearing a vest.
Me, honey, I'm in a rock n' roll band
I am in a rock and roll band.
Ridin' in a Stutz Bearcat, Jim
Jim and I are riding in a Stutz Bearcat car.
Those were different times
The present is quite different from the past.
They studied rows of verse
People used to study poetry.
And all the ladies rolled their eyes
Women used to roll their eyes in response.
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Repetition of the song's title.
Jack, he is a banker
Jack is employed as a banker.
Jane, she is a clerk
Jane works as a clerk.
And the both of them are saving up their money
They both are saving their money.
Then they come home from work
After their work, they return home.
Sittin' by the fire
They are sitting beside a fire.
Radio just played a little classical music for you kids
The radio played some classical music for the listeners.
The march of the wooden soldiers
The music playing is 'The March of the Wooden Soldiers.'
And you can hear Jack say
Jack starts to say something.
Some people like to go out dancing
Some people like to dance.
And other people, (like us) they gotta work
Other people have to work (like Jack and Jane).
And there's always some evil mothers
There always exist some wicked people.
They'll tell you that life is just made out of dirt
Those evil people will say that life is worthless.
And the women never really faint
Women don't usually faint.
Oh the villains always blink their eyes
Villains blink often.
And the children are the only ones who blush
Children are the only ones who get embarrassed.
And life is just to die
The purpose of life is just death.
But, anyone who has a heart
Anyone who has a compassionate heart.
Wouldn't want to turn around and break it
Wouldn't want to do anything to harm it.
And anyone who ever played the part
Anyone who has played any role.
He wouldn't want to turn around and fake it
Wouldn't want to try to deceive anyone.
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Repetition of the song's title.
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Repetition of the song's title.
Aw now that's sweet Jane
That's Sweet Jane.
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Repetition of the song's title.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lou Reed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@raptor8970
Standing on the corner, suitcase in my hand
Jack is in his corset, Jane is in her vest
And me, I'm in a rock'n'roll band
Ridin'a stutz bearcat, Jim
You know, those were different times
Oh, all the poets, they studied rules of verse
And those ladies, they rolled their eyes
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Jack, he is a banker
And Jane, she is a clerk
And both of them save their monies
when they come home from work
Ooh, they be sittin' down by the fire
Oh, the radio does play
The classical music, said Jim, the 'march of the wooden soldiers'
All you protest kids, you can hear Jack say, get ready
Sweet Jane, come on, baby
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Some people, they like to go out dancing
Other peoples, they have to work
Just watch me now
And there's some evil mothers
Well they're gonna tell you that everything is just dirt
You know, that women never really faint
And that villains always blink their eyes
And that, you know, children are the only ones who blush
And that life is just to die
But anyone who ever had a heart
Oh, they wouldn't turn around and break it
And anyone who's ever played a part
Oh, they wouldn't turn around and hate it
Sweet Jane, sweet Jane, sweet Jane ...
@billmay7364
LOU REED ROCK N ROLL ANIMAL.
ONE of the Best LIVE Records Ever.
Great intro from Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner.
LOU was Badass .
Lou Reed Live from 1975 came from these shows as well.
Great version of VICIOUS.
Love this version of Sweet Jane.
Wore this record out .
Rolling down the Road in a Road Runner listening to LOU REED
And heading to see him Live 1976.
Great Times .
@climbjt
I don’t always listen to this song, but when I do, so do my neighbors
@bigrhythms
Amen
@rushmull9702
You got me in stiches,on a dreary day,thanks
@tam165
Lol agree
@stargazer2756
hahaha! me too! lol
@melrankin3682
ditto
@Gozzillacia
This whole album was the sound track of one teenage summer - I played it everyday, over and over again. 13 -14 years old ! I'm 62 now and it still sounds great.
@stevensmothers3779
I'm 65 this year (2022). I've been listening to this since I was in high school. I was a freshman when this came out. 50+ years of rocking & rolling.
@bobdevries4028
Same here! I was 11 years old when my brother came home with this record. In heard the intro and Sweet Jane and WOW! I was sold! Now - 48 years later - I still enjoy listening to it regulary!
@davidhill2889
Hey Joe!