Sweet Jane
The Velvet Underground Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Standing on the corner
Suitcase in my hand
Jack is in his corset, and Jane is her vest
And me, I'm in a rock 'n roll band, ha
Ridin' in 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, whoa
Sweet Jane, oh-oh
Sweet Jane

I'll tell you something, Jack, he is a banker
And Jane, she is a clerk
And both of them save their monies, ha
And when, when they come home from work
Ooh, sittin' down by the fire, oh
The radio does play
The classical music there, Jim
"The March of the Wooden Soldiers"
All you protest kids
You can hear Jack say, get ready, ah

Sweet Jane, ah, come on, baby
Sweet Jane, oh-oh
Sweet Jane

Some people, they like to go out dancing
And other peoples, they have to work, just watch me now
And there's even 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, ooh
And that, you know, children are the only ones who blush
And that life is just to die
But everyone who ever had a heart
Oh, they wouldn't turn around and break it
And anyone who ever played a part
Oh, they wouldn't turn around and hate it

Sweet Jane, oh-oh
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane

Heavenly wine and roses
Seem to whisper to her when he smiles, ah
Heavenly wine and roses
Seem to whisper to her, hey, when she smiles

La-la-la-la, la-la-la
La-la-la-la, la-la-la
La-la-la-la, la-la-la
La-la-la-la, la-la-la

Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane




Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane

Overall Meaning

The song Sweet Jane by The Velvet Underground is a track about different members of society and how they all relate to something sweet; it's a tribute to life and its beauty. The song tells us the story of the artist and the different people he observes around him. The poet talks about how he is a rock n roll artist who is in love with the world around him. He is a positive, free-spirited character who sees hope and magic in everything. The song is full of imagery and portrays different characters with different interests and lives.


The lyrics of Sweet Jane are a mix of relatable truths with abstract philosophical ideas behind them. The lyrics "Heavenly wine and roses seem to whisper to her when he smiles," is a metaphoric statement that says the beauty of life speaks to us in the moments we find happiness in. The song explores and celebrates the beauty of life and different members of society; it’s a rock n roll cliché that the joyous days of music and youth are valuable and to be cherished.


Line by Line Meaning

Standing on the corner
I am on a street corner.


Suitcase in my hand
I am carrying a suitcase.


Jack is in his corset, and Jane is her vest
Jack and Jane are wearing unusual clothing.


And me, I'm in a rock 'n roll band, ha
I am a member of a rock band.


Ridin' in a Stutz Bearcat, Jim
I am riding in a luxury car.


You know, those were different times
The past was different from the present.


Oh, all the poets, they studied rules of verse
Poets learned the rules of poetry.


And those ladies, they rolled their eyes
Women expressed their disapproval.


Sweet Jane, whoa
The singer is calling Jane with affection.


Sweet Jane, oh-oh
The singer is calling Jane with affection.


Sweet Jane
The singer is calling Jane with affection.


I'll tell you something, Jack, he is a banker
Jack has a job as a banker.


And Jane, she is a clerk
Jane works as a clerk.


And both of them save their monies, ha
They save their money for the future.


And when, when they come home from work
After work, they come home.


Ooh, sittin' down by the fire, oh
They sit by the fire.


The radio does play
They listen to the radio.


The classical music there, Jim
They listen to classical music.


"The March of the Wooden Soldiers"
This is the name of the classical music piece.


All you protest kids
The singer is addressing protesting youth.


You can hear Jack say, get ready, ah
Jack encourages preparation.


Sweet Jane, ah, come on, baby
The singer is calling Jane to come nearer.


Sweet Jane, oh-oh
The singer is calling Jane with affection.


Sweet Jane
The singer is calling Jane with affection.


Some people, they like to go out dancing
Some people have fun dancing.


And other peoples, they have to work, just watch me now
Other people have to work; the singer will perform.


And there's even some evil mothers
There are bad people in the world.


Well, they're gonna tell you that everything is just dirt
These people have a negative outlook on life.


You know that women never really faint
Women are strong; they don't faint easily.


And that villains always blink their eyes, ooh
Villains blink their eyes.


And that, you know, children are the only ones who blush
Children are the only ones who blush.


And that life is just to die
Life ends in death.


But everyone who ever had a heart
Kind-hearted people exist.


Oh, they wouldn't turn around and break it
Those kind-hearted people would never intentionally hurt someone.


And anyone who ever played a part
People who lead roles in life exist.


Oh, they wouldn't turn around and hate it
Those people wouldn't regret their roles.


Heavenly wine and roses
The idea of heaven is pleasant.


Seem to whisper to her when he smiles, ah
The idea of heaven comforts the woman.


Heavenly wine and roses
The idea of heaven is pleasant.


Seem to whisper to her, hey, when she smiles
The idea of heaven comforts the woman.


La-la-la-la, la-la-la
This is a non-lyrical part of the song.


La-la-la-la, la-la-la
This is a non-lyrical part of the song.


La-la-la-la, la-la-la
This is a non-lyrical part of the song.


La-la-la-la, la-la-la
This is a non-lyrical part of the song.


Sweet Jane
The singer is calling Jane with affection.


Sweet Jane
The singer is calling Jane with affection.


Sweet Jane
The singer is calling Jane with affection.


Sweet Jane
The singer is calling Jane with affection.


Sweet Jane
The singer is calling Jane with affection.


Sweet Jane
The singer is calling Jane with affection.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lou Reed

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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