Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
The Killers攀 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We had a fight on the promenade out in the rain
She said she loved me, but she had somewhere to go
She couldn't scream while I held I close
I swore I'd never let her go
Tell me what you want to know
Oh come on, oh come on, oh come on There ain't no motive for this crime
Jenny was a friend of mine
So come on, oh come on, oh come on
I know my rights, I've been here all day and it's time
For me to go, so let me know if it's alright
I just can't take this, I swear I told you the truth
She couldn't scream while I held her close
I swore I'd never let her go
Tell me what you want to know
Oh come on, oh come on, oh come on
And then you whisper in my ear
I know what you're doing here
So come on, oh come on, oh come on
There ain't no motive for this crime
Jenny was a friend of mine
Oh come on, oh come on, oh come on
In The Killers' iconic song "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine," the singer is recounting the investigation into the death of a woman named Jenny whom he was close with. He begins by stating that the night they walked together was different than previous times, as they had a fight during a rainstorm on the promenade. Despite her saying she loved him, Jenny had somewhere to be and couldn't scream when he held her close. He swears to never let her go.
The next verse finds the singer being interrogated, declaring that he has been there all day and wants to leave. He claims to have told the truth to the police, and again mentions Jenny being unable to scream when he held her. The chorus repeats the idea that there is no motive for the "crime" and that Jenny was his friend. The final line indicates that someone is whispering to him, realizing that they know what he's doing there.
The song's lyrics are famously based on the real-life case of Jonathan Keltz, who was suspected of murdering his childhood friend Devin Moore after they engaged in a sexual relationship. The case received a great deal of media attention, and it inspired The Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers to write "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" as a fictionalized version of events.
Line by Line Meaning
We took a walk that night, but it wasn't the same
We went for a stroll, but the atmosphere was not the familiar one we used to have
We had a fight on the promenade out in the rain
We ended up arguing on the promenade amidst heavy rain
She said she loved me, but she had somewhere to go
Although she professed her love for me, she had to leave for something important
She couldn't scream while I held her close
Despite her fear, she was unable to shout while I held her tightly
I swore I'd never let her go
I promised myself not to lose her
Tell me what you want to know
Please ask me any question you have
Oh come on, oh come on, oh come on
I am urging you to ask me your questions
There ain't no motive for this crime
There was no reason or motive for the crime committed
Jenny was a friend of mine
Jenny, the victim, was my friend
I know my rights, I've been here all day and it's time
I am aware of my rights and have been held in custody for too long
For me to go, so let me know if it's alright
It's time for me to leave, so please inform me if I'm free to go
I just can't take this, I swear I told you the truth
I cannot bear this anymore, and I promise that I have been honest with you
And then you whisper in my ear
You said something softly into my ear
I know what you're doing here
I understand what you're trying to accomplish here
So come on, oh come on, oh come on
Please continue with your questioning
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRANDON FLOWERS, DAVE BRENT KEUNING, MARK AUGUST STOERMER, RONNIE JR. VANNUCCI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind