Born Richard Dean Taylor on the 11th May 1939 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he began his career in 1961 as a pianist and singer with several bands in Toronto. He also made his first recordings in 1961, for the Audiomaster record label. The next year, Taylor's "At the High School Dance", a single for Amy-Mala Records, was a minor success. His next single, "I'll Remember", on the Barry label, reached number twenty-three for Toronto rock -and-roll radio station CHUM, and the singer decided to relocate to Detroit, Michigan to further his career.
In Detroit, Taylor was hired by Motown Records in 1964 as a songwriter and recording artist for the Motown subsidiary V.I.P. label. Taylor's scheduled first single (March 1964) for V.I.P. was the topical satire "My Ladybug (Stay Away from That Beatle)", but it was deemed too weak for release and was never issued.
It was not until November 1965 that Taylor's debut V.I.P. single, "Let's Go Somewhere", was issued. It was written by Taylor in conjunction with Brian Holland, and produced by the team of Holland and Lamont Dozier, who had already produced five number-one songs for The Supremes. However, the song was only a regional success, in several U.S. cities and Toronto.
Taylor's next single (1967's "There's a Ghost in My House") was written by the team of Holland–Dozier–Holland along with Taylor, and again produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. It was also a commercial disappointment in the U.S., but it reached number three in the U.K. in 1974. Taylor was also beginning to become a songwriter for other acts; for example "I'll Turn to Stone" by the Four Tops and "All I Need" by The Temptations were both charting U.S. singles in 1967, co-composed by him.
In 1968, Taylor's self-produced single "Gotta See Jane", (co-written with Brian Holland), became a top-twenty hit in the UK. However, his real success came as a member of the Motown writing and production team known as "The Clan". This production group were briefly the prime creators of material for Diana Ross & the Supremes after the Holland/Dozier/Holland team left Motown. Among Taylor's successful co-compositions and co-productions during 1968/69 as a member of The Clan were Diana Ross & the Supremes' number-one U.S. release "Love Child" and their number-ten releaset "I'm Livin' in Shame".
Taylor resumed his recording career in 1970, becoming one of the first artists assigned to Motown's new subsidiary Rare Earth, which was dedicated to Caucasian artists. In that year his first Rare Earth single, "Indiana Wants Me", reached number one in his native Canada. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number two in the U.K.. "Gotta See Jane" was also reissued in 1971, and became a top-ten success in Canada. His 1972 single "Taos, New Mexico" did not do well on the Canadian charts.
Taylor continued recording for Rare Earth, and working as a writer/producer for other artists until Rare Earth was ended in 1976. Though he never again scored the charts as he had done with "Indiana Wants Me", his releases did moderately well, especially in Canada. As a Canadian citizen, he could be played on CKLW and other Canadian radio stations and counted towards the stations' Canadian content quotas.
Taylor attempted a comeback during the early 1980s, after which he had a hiatus from the music industry. He has recently established his own record company, Jane Records.
See Jane
R. Dean Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Speedin' trough the dark night,
Drivin' trough the poundin' rain
I gotta see Jane
Windshield wiper splashin',
Splashin', callin' out her name
Just gotta see Jane
To find a place for me in the world outside
I wasn't alive, I could not survive
The frantic pace, the constant chase
To win the race, turned my heart cold inside
I gotta find what I left behind
Red light, green light,
Speedin' through the dark night,
Drivin' through the poundin' rain,
I gotta see Jane
Freeway, byway,
Earin' up the highway,
Runnin' up a world insane
Just gotta see Jane
A town of steel that isn't real
It could not feel what's in the heart of me
I was so alone in a world of stone
I missed her arms, that once held me
That made me see, I was the lonely one
But now and then I was runnin' scared
And I could feel the touch of time
Turnin' the wheel of life to yesterday
When love and happiness were mine
I gotta find that world of Jane and me
Liked it used to be
Oh, I gotta see Jane
Her love for me I pushed aside
Walked out alone
To face a world turned cold
Although I tried I could not survive
The frantic pace, the constant chase
To win the race, it's not a part of me
I've gotta find what I left behind
Oh, I gotta see Jane, I gotta see Jane
The song "See Jane" by R. Dean Taylor tells the story of a man who left his love, Jane, behind to pursue a life outside of their small town. However, he soon discovers that the fast-paced world he was chasing after is empty and cold, and he longs to return to the love and happiness he once had with Jane. The lyrics describe his journey to find Jane, as he speeds through the dark night and pounding rain, calling out her name. He feels alone in a world of steel that cannot feel what's in his heart, and he realizes that he needs to find what he left behind in order to be truly happy again.
This song is a classic example of a love ballad that tells a story of loss and redemption. The imagery of the rain and the windshield wipers adds to the melancholy tone of the song, while the repetition of the refrain "I gotta see Jane" emphasizes the urgency of the singer's quest. The lyrics also touch upon the theme of the alienation that can come with modern urban life, as the singer finds himself struggling to keep up with the frantic pace of the world outside of his small town.
Line by Line Meaning
Red light, green light,
Driving through traffic signals
Speedin' trough the dark night,
Driving fast at night
Drivin' trough the poundin' rain
Driving through heavy rain
I gotta see Jane
He needs to see Jane
Windshield wiper splashin',
Washer cleaning the windshield
Splashin', callin' out her name
The sound of the windshield wipers reminds him of Jane
Just gotta see Jane
He really needs to see Jane
I left her arms to find my way
He left Jane to find his own path
To find a place for me in the world outside
He wanted to find his place in the world outside his relationship with Jane
I wasn't alive, I could not survive
He wasn't happy without Jane
The frantic pace, the constant chase
The fast, stressful pace of life
To win the race, turned my heart cold inside
Trying to succeed made him numb to life and love
I gotta find what I left behind
He wants to find his lost love with Jane
Freeway, byway,
Driving on the highway
Earin' up the highway,
Driving fast on the highway
Runnin' up a world insane
Living in a crazy world
A town of steel that isn't real
Living in a fake, industrial city
It could not feel what's in the heart of me
The city can't understand his emotions
I was so alone in a world of stone
He was alone in the city without Jane
I missed her arms, that once held me
He regrets leaving Jane's love
That made me see, I was the lonely one
He realized he was lonely without Jane
But now and then I was runnin' scared
He sometimes feels scared and confused
And I could feel the touch of time
He realizes time is passing by
Turnin' the wheel of life to yesterday
Life changes and you can't go back
When love and happiness were mine
He was happy with Jane
I gotta find that world of Jane and me
He wants to recreate his happy world with Jane
Liked it used to be
He wants things to be the way they were before
Her love for me I pushed aside
He neglected Jane's love before
Walked out alone
He left the relationship alone
To face a world turned cold
He dealt with his problems alone
Although I tried I could not survive
He couldn't survive without Jane's love
To win the race, it's not a part of me
Winning isn't as important as love for him now
I've gotta find what I left behind
He needs to rediscover his love with Jane
Oh, I gotta see Jane, I gotta see Jane
He really needs and wants to see Jane
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: R. DEAN TAYLOR, RONALD MILLER, RONALD N. MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@terrybraybrook9860
This Canadian dude was great. Lyrics....Red light, green light,
Speedin' trough the dark night,
Drivin' trough the poundin' rain
I gotta see Jane
Windshield wiper splashin',
Splashin', callin' out her name
Just gotta see Jane
I left her arms to find my way
To find a place for me in the world outside
I wasn't alive, I could not survive
The frantic pace, the constant chase
To win the race, turned my heart cold inside
I gotta find what I left behind
Red light, green light,
Speedin' through the dark night,
Drivin' through the poundin' rain,
I gotta see Jane
Freeway, byway,
Earin' up the highway,
Runnin' up a world insane
Just gotta see Jane
A town of steel that isn't real
It could not feel what's in the heart of me
I was so alone in a world of stone
I missed her arms, that once held me
That made me see, I was the lonely one
But now and then I was runnin' scared
And I could feel the touch of time
Turnin' the wheel of life to yesterday
When love and happiness were mine
I gotta find that world of Jane and me
Liked it used to be
Oh, I gotta see Jane
Her love for me I pushed aside
Walked out alone
To face a world turned cold
Although I tried I could not survive
The frantic pace, the constant chase
To win the race, it's not a part of me
I've gotta find what I left behind
Oh, I gotta see Jane, I gotta see Jane
@angelaashpole8931
Another music icon we have just lost. R.I.P R.Dean Taylor, thanks for your music
@hilo6755
I didn't know he died, what a lovely man X
@pressuredrop6173
Indiana wants me. What a song. A real tearjerker.
@dellafenton2417
@@pressuredrop6173Indiana wants me is a song I remember playing on the radio in my childhood. I've since revisited it and was blown away!! The strings are amazing
@jamessedgwick8236
Sad news
@mazzholmes2086
This reminds me of my first holiday with my boyfriend in Newquay, Cornwall in the late sixties. We would go to a pub in the town every night and this song would be on the jukebox. I’m now 72 and just about to celebrate 50 wonderful years of marriage to that same guy.
@Jase73
Wow what a beautiful story. Congratulations to you both. Love this song.
@mazzholmes2086
@@Jase73 Thank you Jason 😊
@ronniedamnitz9295
Wonderful! Congratulations! Many happy days!
@lennydickens9943
God bless RIP r dean Taylor