Sweet Jane (1970) – The Velvet Underground

I had Sweet Jane in my collection, but inexplicably rendered it obsolete for use here. Then when I heard it again yesterday while doing chores I made note to make amends. So here we are today with what Rolling Stone ranked No. 335 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Appearing on the Velvet Underground’s fourth studio album Loaded (1970), Sweet Jane was written by band leader and primary songwriter Lou Reed, who continued to incorporate the piece into live performances after he left the band. There are more versions of this song than you can swing a cat at, including a 1969 early version which Rolling Stone highlighted in their article below. But the version I’ve gone with below is the 2015 – 45th anniversary full length version.

The main riff of Sweet Jane is deceptively simple, but it’s irresistibly groovy, creating a laid-back swagger that anchors the song. But towards the end – the song transforms into a Hey Jude-ish ‘la la la la la la’ when instrumentals coalesce into a wild mesh of hypnotic rhythm. Also throughout, Lou Reed’s signature inimitable voice is unmistakable here. It stretches and bends certain phrases with elongated, almost tongue-in-cheek inflections. There’s humor, weariness, and cool detachment – an effortless charm like a joke you’re in on as a listener.

Lyrically, Sweet Jane drifts through a lucid dreamscape, introducing a cast of characters – each rooted in different epochs and realities. Among them are the singer, who’s part of a rock ’n’ roll band, and a couple: Jack the banker and Jane the clerk. They symbolize the conventional 9-to-5 class of an antiquated society, steeped in tradition and classical music. The singer, in contrast, pleads for recognition of the raw, spontaneous beauty of rock ’n’ roll and the authenticity found in living outside societal norms. But really it becomes less a love letter to rock than a self-aware meditation on identity, routine, and the mythologies we buy into.

The following was extracted from Wikipedia:
In a 2005 interview, former Velvet Underground member Doug Yule stated that the main signature “riff” of the song (as it appears on Loaded) was finalized in the studio just before the tracks were recorded, and it was achieved by Lou Reed’s playing “cranked-up very loud” through a large Sunn amplifier. In addition to recording the bass track, the drums on the recording were performed by Doug Yule because Velvet drummer Maureen Tucker was pregnant at the time and not present during the Loaded sessions.

[Verse 1]
Standin’ on the corner
Suitcase in my hand
Jack is in his corset, Jane is in her vest
And me, I’m in a rock ‘n’ roll band
Huh
Riding in a Stutz Bear Cat, Jim
Ya know, those were different times
Oh, all the poets they studied rules of verse
And those ladies, they rolled their eyes

[Chorus]
Sweet Jane, woah
Sweet Jane, oh oh
Sweet Jane

[Verse 2]
Let me tell ya somethin’, Jack, he is a banker
And Jane, she is a clerk
And both of them save their monies
Hah, 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

[Verse 3]
Some people, they like to go out dancin’
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, ya know, children are the only ones who blush
And that life is just to die
But anyone 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

[Bridge]
Heavenly wine and roses
Seem to whisper to her when he smiles
Heavenly wine and roses
Seem to whisper to her, hey, when she smiles

References:
1. Hear the Velvet Underground Play an Early Version of ‘Sweet Jane’ – Rolling Stone
2. Sweet Jane – Wikipedia

About observationblogger

“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand