Baby Jane
Waxing Poetics Lyrics
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It makes your face to long
Time don't capture light just right
It makes your name seem wrong
But it's no big deal you say
It's no big thing
Time don't capture love at all
And love don't capture anything
Found out what happened to Baby Jane
Tried to take another photograph
Dress her up in plastic
Take it to the masses
Take it to the masses
Look what happened to Baby Jane
Look what happened to America
Look what happened to Baby Jane
The same thing happened to America
It's no big thing, you say
It's no big deal
Time don't capture love at all
And love don't change the way you feel
Found out what happened to Baby Jane
Tried to take another photograph
Dress her up in Plastic
Take it to the wasteland
Take it to the wasteland
Found out what happened to Baby Jane
Tried to take another photograph
Dress her up in Plastic
Take it all for granted
Take it all for granted
And it's no big deal you say
It's no big thing
Time don't capture love at all
And love don't capture anything
Found out what happened to Baby Jane
Tried to take another photograph
Dress her up in plastic
Take it all for granted
Take it all for granted
Found out what happened to Baby Jane
Tried to take another photograph
Dress her up in plastic
Take it all for granted
Take it all for granted
The song "Baby Jane" by Waxing Poetics is a poignant commentary on the fleeting nature of time and the superficiality of our modern society. The opening lines of the song establish the theme, suggesting that time does not capture things as they truly are. Time distorts our perception of things, making our faces appear longer and our names seem wrong. The chorus repeats the message that time does not capture love and that love does not capture anything, emphasizing the idea that true beauty and meaning are elusive.
The verses describe the fate of Baby Jane, a character who has experienced a similar distortion of reality. The lyrics suggest that someone has tried to "capture" her by taking photographs and dressing her up in plastic, implying that they are trying to mold her into a certain image or ideal. The repetition of the phrase "take it to the masses" further emphasizes the idea of commodification and the desire to package and sell something that may not be genuine.
The second verse broadens the theme beyond Baby Jane, suggesting that the same thing that happened to her has also happened to America. The lines "look what happened to Baby Jane, look what happened to America" illustrate the idea that our society is similarly distorted and inauthentic. The final verse repeats the same message as the first, concluding that time does not capture love and love does not capture anything.
Overall, "Baby Jane" is a powerful commentary on the superficiality and commodification of our modern society. By using the image of Baby Jane, Waxing Poetics highlights the tendency to try and mold things into a packageable image rather than valuing them for their true beauty and individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
Time don't capture light just right, it makes your face too long
As time passes by, the way light falls on your face changes and makes your face look older and longer.
Time don't capture love at all, and love don't capture anything
Time cannot capture the emotions of love that people feel and love cannot capture anything tangible.
Found out what happened to Baby Jane, tried to take another photograph, dress her up in plastic, take it to the masses
Someone discovered what happened to Baby Jane and they tried to take another photograph of her, but they had to dress her up in a plastic way and then they tried to make her famous and popular by sharing her image with the masses.
Look what happened to Baby Jane, the same thing happened to America
The fate of Baby Jane is an allegory for what happened to America as a whole.
Time don't capture love at all, and love don't change the way you feel
Time cannot capture the emotions of love and love cannot change how you feel about a situation.
Take it to the wasteland / Take it all for granted
The singer implies that trying to make something famous and popular is a futile and meaningless effort.
Contributed by Mason J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.