The project first began in 1979 as a solo project for Joanne McDuffy, backup vocalist for singer and producer Rick James, whom she had supported on several tours. James developed tracks with McDuffy and session vocalists the Water Sisters, creating the "Mary Jane Girls" sound. Motown offered James a contract for what it believed was the girl group he wanted to produce; not wanting to lose the deal, James lied and told Motown that the Mary Jane Girls were a group and not McDuffy's solo project. Rick got whoever he could to provide photographs to Motown. McDuffy continued to sing lead and background with the Water Sisters for all Mary Jane Girl recordings and the band sang for the group with McDuffy on tour. It is commonly believed, though not confirmed, that the group was so named due to Rick James' affinity for marijuana; a common alternate term for the substance is "Mary Jane."
Their self-titled debut album, Mary Jane Girls was released in 1983, reaching #56 on the Billboard 200, and #6 in the Top Hip-Hop/R&B charts. The album's four singles, "Candy Man", "All Night Long", "Boys" and "Jealousy" all charted. In 1985, their sophomore effort, Only Four You, was released; the single "In My House" became the group's biggest single, reaching #7 on the Billboard 200. Shortly before the release of the album, Bailey left the group and was replaced by Marine.
The only song recorded by the Mary Jane Girls not composed by Rick James was "Walk Like a Man". A cover version of the famous song by The Four Seasons featured on the soundtrack for the film A Fine Mess, this turned out to be the Mary Jane Girls' last single, reaching #41 on the Billboard 2000. In the meantime, Rick James had a falling out with Motown, eventually resulting in the dissolution of the Mary Jane Girls in 1987.
On The Inside
Mary Jane Girls Lyrics
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And there's nothing more serious than when your man is to blame
Hurting on the inside
On the inside, on the inside
Here I go again falling back in love with you
For the second time, oh my
Baby, you and I
Ooh, ooh
There I go again talking out of my head again
Feeling like a stranger to my heart
I believe that we could fall in love again, ooh
(Aah) but you keep stepping on the one that loves you
(Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) ooh, oh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
Anyone could know the pain and misery
Oh, baby (hurting on the inside) hurting on the inside
(Hurting on the inside)
Anyone who knows me, man, could look into my eyes and tell
Ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(Hurting on the inside)
(On the inside, on the inside) you hurt me so much, baby
Here we go again starting off a romance
That will surely end in pain
I have tried time after time to keep our love together
But still I find (still I find) you're playing games
There I go again talking out of my head again
Feeling like a stranger to my heart, ooh, oh, oh
I think that we could fall in love again
(Aah) but you keep stepping on the one that loves you
(Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) oh, oh, oh
Aah, baby
Why you wanna hurt me, man
(Hurting on the inside)
The deepness of the pain is driving me insane
(Hurting on the inside) and I can't take it
I can't take it no more
(Hurting on the inside)
(On the inside, on the inside)
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Hurting on the inside
On the inside, on the inside
The lyrics of "On The Inside" by Mary Jane Girls are about the pain of being in love with someone who continues to hurt you. The song depicts the internal struggle of a person who loves someone but is constantly hurt by the same person they love. The opening lines, "Nothing hurts worse than a heart in pain, and there's nothing more serious than when your man is to blame" highlights the emotional damage that someone can cause the person they love. The chorus, "Hurting on the inside, on the inside, on the inside" emphasizes the pain that the person is going through.
The song talks about falling in love again and again, despite knowing it is going to end in pain. The lines, "Here we go again starting off a romance, that will surely end in pain" and "I think we'd make better friends as opposed to lovers, baby, you and I" suggest that the singer sees the pattern in their relationship, but they can't help but fall in love again. The repeated line "you keep stepping on the one that loves you" highlights the hurtful actions of the other person.
Overall, "On The Inside" is a song about love, pain, and the internal struggle of trying to hold onto a relationship that continually causes heartache.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing hurts worse than a heart in pain
Experiencing emotional pain is one of the worst feelings a person can have.
And there's nothing more serious than when your man is to blame
When your partner causes your emotional pain, it is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
Hurting on the inside
Emotional pain can cause internal suffering.
On the inside, on the inside
The emotional suffering is felt deeply and intensely.
Here I go again falling back in love with you
The artist is struggling with their feelings towards their partner and keeps falling in love again.
For the second time, oh my
This has happened before, and it is frustrating to the singer.
I think we'd make better friends as opposed to lovers
The singer believes that the relationship would be better suited as a friendship instead of a romantic relationship.
Baby, you and I
The artist is addressing their partner in an endearing way.
There I go again talking out of my head again
The artist is struggling with their emotions and saying things without thinking.
Feeling like a stranger to my heart
The emotional turmoil is causing the artist to feel disconnected from their own emotions.
I believe that we could fall in love again, ooh
The singer still has hope for the relationship despite the struggles they are facing.
(Aah) but you keep stepping on the one that loves you
The artist feels like their partner is hurting them intentionally despite their love for them.
(Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) ooh, oh, ooh, oh, oh, oh
The singer is expressing their pain and frustration in a vocalized way.
Anyone could know the pain and misery
The singer believes that anyone can experience the pain that they are feeling.
Oh, baby (hurting on the inside) hurting on the inside
The singer is reminding their partner of the emotional pain they are causing them.
(Hurting on the inside)
The pain is internal and heartbreaking for the artist.
Anyone who knows me, man, could look into my eyes and tell
The artist's emotional pain is visible to anyone who knows them well enough to see it.
Ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
The singer is expressing their pain in a vocalized way.
(Hurting on the inside)
The pain is internal and heartbreaking for the singer.
(On the inside, on the inside) you hurt me so much, baby
The artist is expressing the depth of their emotional pain and how much their partner is contributing to it.
Here we go again starting off a romance
The artist is expressing frustration at starting the cycle of falling in love again.
That will surely end in pain
The artist is predicting that the relationship will end badly.
I have tried time after time to keep our love together
The singer has made efforts to preserve the relationship despite the struggles.
But still I find (still I find) you're playing games
The artist is accusing their partner of playing games with their emotions.
Aah, baby
The singer is addressing their partner in an endearing way despite their frustration and pain.
Why you wanna hurt me, man
The singer is expressing confusion over why their partner is causing them emotional pain.
The deepness of the pain is driving me insane
The emotional pain is intense and is affecting the singer's mental health.
(Hurting on the inside)
The pain is internal and heartbreaking for the artist.
and I can't take it
The artist is expressing that the emotional pain has become too much for them to handle.
I can't take it no more
The singer has reached the point of not being able to tolerate the emotional pain any longer.
Hurting on the inside
Emotional pain can cause internal suffering.
On the inside, on the inside
The emotional suffering is felt deeply and intensely.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: James A Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind