The Baroques formed in 1966. In January 1967 they signed a contract with Ch… Read Full Bio ↴The Baroques formed in 1966. In January 1967 they signed a contract with Chess Records. By June 1967, both the album "Iowa" and single "Mary Jane" were released and banned in the same week. The ban was imposed by some local DJs whose stations directors thought "Mary Jane" was a pro-drug song about marijuana. Jay had actually written it as an anti-drug song but no one got it. Instead The Baroques became infamous as "acid-heads" due to the "far-out" sounds on the record. At this point, Jay had never tried drugs in his life. That soon changed and the band found itself pulling stunts at their live shows involving catapults, baby doll parts, and lip-synching onstage.

Mary Jane
The Baroques Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Girl take a look around you
See how this place has found you
Soon there will be a road that
Time will have painted it black
But if you come with me
You are going to see
How happy all it could be
With me you′ll see

Oh Mary jane take me away from all this
Mary jane take me away from all this
A new name And a new life For us
A new world will be waiting for us
And i know it will be
A world before you and me
And oh how happy we'll be
When we are free
Oh mary jane take me away from all this
Mary jane take me away from all this

A new name and a new life for us
A new world we will find

Overall Meaning

The Baroque's song Mary Jane is a classic example of 60s psychedelic rock - it is a song about escaping the pressures of the world and embarking on a new journey with a newfound love. The lyrics begin with an invitation to look around and see how the world has shaped us - "Girl take a look around you/See how this place has found you". The imagery of a black-painted road gives the sense that time is fleeting and things are changing rapidly. However, there is hope in the form of a new life with Mary Jane. The singer's invitation to Mary Jane to come with him is couched in the belief that together they can create a new world - "A new name and a new life for us/A new world will be waiting for us".

The chorus of the song is a repetition of the plea for Mary Jane to take the singer away from all of the constraints of the world, and allow them to start anew. The singer romanticizes about a world where they can be happy and free, away from all the pressures of society - "And oh how happy we'll be/When we are free". The song ends with Mary Jane being invoked once again to take the singer away from the world, and the promise of a new life together - "Oh mary jane take me away from all this/Mary jane take me away from all this/A new name and a new life for us/A new world we will find".

Line by Line Meaning

Girl take a look around you
Observe your surroundings

See how this place has found you
Realize how this place has influenced you

Soon there will be a road that
In the near future, a road will be present

Time will have painted it black
It will have become bleak with time

But if you come with me
If you accompany me

You are going to see
You will witness

How happy all it could be
How delightful things could be

With me you'll see
Together with me you'll gaze

Oh Mary jane take me away from all this
Mary Jane, help me escape from this

A new name And a new life For us
A fresh start and a new identity

A new world will be waiting for us
A different realm awaits

And i know it will be
I'm certain that it will be

A world before you and me
A universe for only us

And oh how happy we'll be
And how much joy we'll experience

When we are free
Once we are liberated

Oh mary jane take me away from all this
Mary Jane, help me escape from this

Mary jane take me away from all this
Mary Jane, help me escape from this

A new name and a new life for us
A fresh start and a new identity

A new world we will find
We'll discover a different realm

Writer(s): Stanley Harris

Contributed by Katherine F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

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Comments from YouTube:

@88ttff22

5y↑126

Fantastic video! It combines our 1967 non-hit (it was band from the radio) with this bizarre footage that has nothing to do with the song's content - brilliant! Dean Nimmer (Baroques drummer)

@katespruce

5y↑1

Why was it banned?

@mikelbt

5y↑9

Mary Jane was slang for marijuana.

@charliejdk

Such a great story, song, video! Thanks to the band & to you for making the film.

@msgeek703

Groovy groovy song and the video is perfect.

@graceonthewater

5y↑1

You were in this band?! That's awesome! Love the song.

9 More Replies...

@keng9272

2y↑11

Nice to hear this. I vividly remember sitting in the Avant-garde coffee shop on Tuesday and Friday nights as the Baroques played. A few years later my wife had Dean as one of her art professors.

@RoninAvenger

2y↑6

Obscure 60s garage rock/punk and psychedelic music like this is so great. Some of its ahead of it’s time honestly, and all of it is the birth of rock as we know it.

@kelechi_77

48w

vocals sound like Ian Curtis from Joy Division!

@kelechi_77

48w

The Pastels, Beat Happening, Kevin Ayers... All here

@Susaleenah

14y↑7

My favorite band from my youth! I saw them so many times and went to high school with Jay Borkenhagen. It still sounds as good as it did 40 years ago.

@Susaleenah

14y↑2

My favorite band from my youth! I loved the Baroques. I went to high school with Jay Borkenhagen.

@timsimon9443

4y↑1

Got turned on to this album about 45 years ago. Always loved it. Stands the test of time.

@hambonejohnson3426

5y↑1

I found this a few weeks ago and I've watched it a dozen times. I can't get her or the song out of my mind!

@gregraines1599

9y↑8

Reminds me of my mother in the 60's. Eyelash curling tool, hair teasers, the choking fog of hairspray...

@francobina

10y↑4

Love this. I've watched it a dozen times already. The music is completely compelling - the video perfect.

@Chiquitica1970

9y↑3

Wow, I cam across this listening to the old Green Fuzz song. Cool song, neat ad and love the make-up tutorial!

@borgduck

4y↑1

Oh, this video has been a source of comfort during those agonizing, painful, days on end!

@WOODR52

8y↑46

I lived through the 60's wish they could have the internet then... American music was all I heard. Except for Francois Hardy... Too bad we cannot go back. Thanks YOUTUBE!

@mikamalpica2553

8y↑4

right sir

@bunnyfish714

7y↑2

you can go back Richard,all the grand old tunes of past era's are on the web for us to enjoy...i'm one of 7 brothers,i was far down the batting order,my olders brother were all music fans [whole family,really mom& dad too],so just about everything from the 20's to the late '50's,we had on records,lucky to have been exposed to things I other wise would not have heard...I love just about everything today...happy spring

@redline2115

6y↑2

The Baroques were from Milwaukee Wisconsin. The s/t lp has just been reissued. Buy it, the whole album is good.

@michaelcraig9449

5y↑1

Oh yes we are! Classic rock is back in a big way..

@MSYNGWIE12

4y↑1

I still listen to Francoise, in fact bought a great English compilation last month, I don't speak French and i wanted her version of my very favorite song, Suzanne, (Leonard sigh I miss him so, Cohen) in English. What country is it- the car?- I am trying to figure out if the model, is my favourite, idolized woman, still, Jean Shrimpton- this lady looks more like her than Jean's sister, Chrissie! If I could just see the brands of cosmetics- that lipstick would have been silver, ghastly huh, made one's teeth look yellowy, but the packaging was spot on, came with a mirror, 2 lipsticks, one either end and fit in the palm of your hand- I realize as a guy this is of no import to you, sorry, this is 2020, in the middle of the "plague". Check out a dreadful but fun film, Privilege, stars the lead singer from Manfred Mann and maybe this girl. Sorry for rambling, bit stir crazy, blessedly MUSIC all kinds and yes bless you tube, I find songs and genres on here that- well, I won't babble on more- Marianne Faithfull, bless her, my feminine ideal, Leonard Cohen was my male, like my idols tarnished, is in hospital sick with the corona virus so I think I will listen to her for awhile- do check out Jean and tell me what you think! Namaste, Z

@gomera222

15y↑1

pretty amazing...i was in Milwaukee lately..where they came from..a groovy band..i love them.. much love

@rodrigovaldes4825

7y↑12

like the 60's, i love this video.

@djemer1144

10y↑8

A beautiful song for a beautiful gal. Love this song. RARE!!!!!

@bumperu

9y↑4

Best lipstick phallic inference ever!!!!!!!!! Also, has that French new wave film look.

@littlemikey1954

8y↑3

+bumperu The look may be French. But the girl is (West) German.
The cars have German plates and the car she departs in has a "D" sticker denoting (West) Germany. East German cars had "DDR" stickers.

@witheringi9492

8y↑1

+littlemikey1954 all three of them lol

@paulchigbu2946

5y↑1

What a beautiful sound from the baroques.

@borgduck

5y↑1

I love fab, 60's German ladies!

@danielmoore7332

5y↑2

This received no airplay in DC. And we heard more than most folks.
Man, does radio suck!

@pratyushpurohit721

5y↑1

This song alone with the video obviously takes me through a genuine 60s nostalgic trip. Yes, i dont come from that era, but being fond of psychedelic rock...yeah thats about it!

@sks6689

9y↑5

i first heard this on some flash -back 60,s radio from Seattle , 2014, just has a cool hook or vibe to it, a lot of their songs are about well you know ....

@norab23

13y↑2

i love this!! she's confused.... confused... then amused.

@FaustoBici8

11y↑3

This song does not compare to any other is my greatest inspiration, motivation and happiness

@chriscockerton1419

7y↑10

She is beautiful..

@Daniel-fj4hj

7y↑5

malditos 60's me encantan!

@smokeemonkee

14y↑3

I watch this again and again and the footage just works really well with the song...this is one of your best! That Baroques stuff is really good, really unusual for their time. (formerly potaluca)

@ditchdanger

15y↑3

seriously, you're killing me! great taste. thanks for this

@wortflorist

7y↑2

wow... I really love this.

@cdcheers

15y↑1

waou it is so great!! love it, you have a very nice selection of videos , thanks for posting all your tresors!!

@bozsongz3652

Nice blend of film and song. Nails the era.

@greensicknesss

12y↑1

thanks for uploading all these badass tracks

@13neeka

9y↑30

I really dig this chicks style!

@elenoreduard3349

8y↑4

ikr she's beautiful isn't she?

@chrishenniker5944

r cody I wish Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus has this style , better than the androgynous look they now sport.

@TWD66

Yeah, she really deserves a good car !

@MSYNGWIE12

My fav model of all time was Jean Shrimpton check her out and tell me if this girl doesn't look so much like her!

@tonyphonehome1

9y↑5

thanks for introducing me to my new favorite song!

@annarousiadou784

Antonio DePietro 60s Vibes 📺🎶⚡

@ezears

8y↑3

LOVE this. Cool video too.

@bunnyfish714

7y↑3

Awesome song,thanks for posting this,needed something great this am [04/30/17]

@mikaylaboo1

8y↑2

I was thinking Mary Jane was a song about Marijuana so I was looking for a video about that, but I love this video.!

@Mcramos68

10y↑2

so beautiful...

@ilfumatoredelmare

13y

the music stops, she takes off her hat.. you gotta love that!

@robertcubinelli4961

7y↑2

Tremendous sound!😎😋😘

@CherrySlush1

12y↑4

In some strange kind of way this video works so well with the song.

@gttorino68

15y↑1

Awesome I love the Baroques!!!!

@davepinilla1977

15y↑1

the quality sound its amazing! cool band

@lillusiontragique595

7y↑8

Estuve buscando esto por tanto tiempo! ♥

@MoonlightDawnMoolightDawn

9y↑5

The Baroques - Mary Jane

#1960s #psychedelic #psychedelicrock #garagerock #psychedelicgarage #undergroundmusic #obscuremusic #psychedelic60s #thebaroques

@whatup6350

8y↑3

Fantastic! I think The Pastels could have done a lovely version of this.

@bunnyfish714

7y↑1

I just love the video,women and their make up,such a mystery to we men,a land of the unknown...lol..great paring with this song..bravo to it's creator...god?

@darian6793

6y↑2

great tunes- awesome vid.

@larryc4ny

12y

Points, Plugs and condenser, twice a year. Cap and rotor every spring, a rite of pasage. What a great time. Lar

@larry2058

Milwaukee had some damned good bands... Besides The Baroques there was The Shag, The Skunks.
At 69 I missed by a couple years the ability to go to a bar, was pretty much limited to A.M. radio, and mostly they played normal stuff. WZMF & KAAY came a few years later.

@DanielJoseDiego

13y↑2

The Baroques FTW!

@ultraroadmap

10y↑11

What a beautiful woman...who is she?

@blacflag

15y↑1

thanks for that, hadn't watched the franju film, but checked a few clips, i can see where your coming from. i think this was originally french or german and overdubbed.

@hebneh

12y↑3

This is a peculiar song coupled with a peculiar movie. It seemed slightly less odd when I noticed at the end that the film wasn't shot in the USA. The woman's strange appearance, along with her morose, dreamy attitude, didn't seem like the all-American girl type that would've appeared in any auto-related footage in the '60s.

@user-xz7zn8zq1i

В 1973 году друг привёз мне эту пластинку из Одессы и я её купил - рублей за 30 не больше, все дружбаны сказали гамно-гамном,а я как вьехал в неё и сейчас помню ЕЁ от и до, сейчас её уже не найти - а хочу иметь в колекции - шедевр психодела....

@cinecitta66

15y

Yeah, it has the same surreal vibe. I like this one a lot but the Paul Martin one is the best combination of old footage and old song I've seen on youtube by anyone.

@balloonfarm5903

2y↑1

Everything comes back around again the eye mascara cat’s eye treatment is all over the place on young girls again. Cool tune.😎🎸✌🏽☮️

@TaiChiBeMe

I bought this record when I was in high school.

@sabrinasjourney

7y↑1

like her outfit!

@r8448

14y

Beautifull video !

@Citadin

13y↑2

@moxie96 I play a lot of rare psychedelia on my radio show too. Same 90.3FM frequency, different town (CKUT Montreal...) cheers

@Uygkuyfkutfkytfkutfv

12y

great track, and thanks for the visual

@FaustoBici8

11y↑1

Mi Inspiracion De Cada Dia

@markushh

12y

Great song - but the video footage is awesome. Thank You.

@thomasgauthier98

11y↑1

I love mary jane

@thefreakbeats8851

8y↑1

Freakin' fab!

@gerardcousineau3200

10y↑1

Getting ready ! :)

@Gabo230267

7y↑2

Wow! Genial!

@yianngryppar

12y

I love Mary Jane.... :)

@ephraimdrakeful

10y↑2

this is great
never heard of these guys.

@mdmphd

12y

The footage just blows my mind -- she's got some issues, especially in the lipstick area. God protect whoever picked her up for a "date" :D And the song is in such a low register - Fantastic!

@nancylee2468

12y

I still have the album !!!!!

@celtick4985

7y↑1

Yessssss 😀

@ultraroadmap

9y↑2

I will not rest until I know her name!!!!!! Citizens of the world...please???

@danielvlee

9y↑2

I would think your best bet is to contact Blacflag, ask him where he got the footage, and digging from that point. Good luck!

@rodrigoaramayo9700

7y↑1

Chills...

@spartaeus

15y

I like her hair, it's back in style again even.

@vladestezeulvostru

13y

nicely done.:)

@ericlindal8008

7y↑3

Cool. I often wonder how women can put their own makeup on. Looks super complicated and you have to be ambidextrous. The sixties looked pretty cool.

@FISHMUSIC4U

10y↑6

real solid shitttttt

@hongdekong

8y↑29

but i believe the bass player had too much mary jane during his solo. haha

@shadybaby7517

7y↑3

hongdekong maryjane is the best "drug ever". i've done all drugs and marijuana has been the best. it just makes you happy, and you stay healthy. all these other drugs are so scary.. addiction is my biggest drug. all these drugs make people miserable, get them hooked on the feeling. but weed has never done that to me, if i never had it, i would never feel like shit. i wouldn't have violent jerks on my bed if i didn't smoke weed for 8 hrs, i wouldn't pull my hair because of how painful and never ending the pain is, and i would never bump my head up & down just because my necked hurt. everything in your body & bones are in pain.. but weed has never done that. it opens your eyes, your mind. you become a part of nature.. it's illegal in most states because the government knows if people smoke weed, the people would overthrown the government! it opens people's mind to realize how fucked up the world has been. and it will always be like this, no matter who our president is or government. some people have it worse, and i'm terribly terrified and sorry of the horrific events that people have to go through in the world.. but no matter who runs the shits, it will always be the same.. & it has been for a while. all i am saying is that weed is the best drug their has ever been. people, if you've never done anything other than weed, stay like that.. love yourself. don't ever let yourself go for another drug. fuck heroin, meth, coke, oxy's, crack, anything you do. those will leave you dead. i would say do not do LSD either,although i like it. it is also a deadly drug or a drug that will take you on a trip that you will never come back to again.. happened to me but thank goodness i came back.. i was there for a while, symptoms of schizophrenia, but something put me back into life.. one of the scariest feeling ever, but it was the greatest experience as well. i've experienced a lot even though i'm very young, and all i could say is that weed is the best thing ever. and more than any other drug, the music will always ring your ears high off marijuana, any other drug, no. love people, don't do drugs, live happy, and take care of mother earth. one love, peace..

@CatLevinson94

Nice Opinions ! Im feeling bad for your LSD experiences. But usually LSD and Shrooms are very harmless unless you do it alone

@jessemonster3659

I work with the bass player, and I can confirm that he's never smoked pot.

@hongdekong

8y↑2

great video m8

@bunnyfish714

7y↑1

really,how can 38 people hate this

@kathberry8

7y↑5

I found it disturbing for some reason..liked it..

@morganrieder6281

7y↑1

Aye, I agree.

@VasjaStankovic

9y↑7

I strongly believe this one is actually about weed.

@phoenixgrove

6y↑1

Vasja Stankovic Marijuana wasn't that popular in the early 60s. Only after the counter culture movement that it gained popularity which happened in the late 1960s. This video is like from very early 60s.

@annarousiadou784

Sonia Khatri truee Words I think the same

@billbobson543

8y↑4

please show us the whole ten minute car promo !!!!

@blacflag

14y

it's on the 22 track cd that was released, google and you'll probably get a hard copy at ebay or amazon...

@chillblaine2k10

Wow!

@cinecitta66

15y

Great clip. Why does it make me think of Franju's Eyes without a Face? Or is it Repulsion? Georgy Girl? And the song is cool. I really love the keyboard on this one.

@omarreyes2388

Exquisita...

@blacflag

15y

thanks, i like that song as well, i usually see ways of improvin videos after i've posted them.

@Kaan_Gokturk

Put this on spotify pleaaasee!

@BillyBong420

9y↑15

Mary Jane take me away from all this.

@chrishenniker5944

8y↑1

Who was that sultry German glamourpuss?

@counterstriving

8y↑28

Car promo? Amazing.
Anyway it's a really good song; with the vocal it reminds me slightly of Joy Division. Or am I crazy?

@Gabo230267

7y↑1

Lo estás, pero bien el referente.

@Ser1alExper1ments

8y↑2

♥

@ChrisHenniker

13y

@liam2m It's beautifully edited, I'll agree.

@l.salisbury1253

Check out their Devo-esque song "bicycle"... predating Devo's first release by 10 years!

@kelechi_77

40w↑1

Lothar and the hand people's "Machines" sounds more DEVO

@l.salisbury1253

40w

@@kelechi_77 Thanx- I'll check that out...!

@gazuaman

14y↑1

the vocals are superb! I've been wndering around black flag posts and I do apreciate a lot his stuff. Far away from the pop stream is also nice.

@DrLearyUSA

14y

Hey, I've been looking for them!! Is there any chance i can find oscar meyer tribute?

@Citadin

13y

Nice combination of Fender Rhodes & piano. What German film and actress is this?

@blacflag

15y

this was also filmed in early sixties

@moxie96

14y

Find the channel technicolor web of sound on the web. There you'll hear many obscure sounds no radio station anywhere (sadly) would air unless it was a college radio station's special (then you want KUSF90.3 FM's webstream)

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