Jack and Diane

might include movie spoilers Awhile back, I heard this song was 'really about an interracial couple, but that it had been never admitted by Mellencamp' because when it was written the subject of 'interracial relations' was still pretty taboo.

Then I found out recently, to my surprise, that originally he was going to write a song about an interracial couple, but after watching the movie "Splendor in the grass" (one of my all-time favorites) one night, he decided to base it off the couple from the movie. The boy and girl in the movie are named Bud and Deanie. It's basically a story about young love and growing up.

The lyrics "growin up in the heartland" are in reference to the movie being set in Kansas. "Jacky's gonna be a football star" refers to how Bud was the school's football star/ all-around jock and for awhile that seemed to be his main identity.... that and being deanie's high school sweetheart. " Jacky say 'Hey Diane lets run off, Behind a shady tree' Dribble off those Bobby Brooks, Let me do what I please" refers to how Bud in the beginning was always trying to get in Deanie's pants. 'Bobby Brooks' was a line of women's clothing in the 50s, 60s, 70s, that first popularized the generic 'teen' clothing brand. Characterized by a hint of sexiness and separating the young girl's style completely from her mother's (because anything associated with your parents in the 1950s started to be perceived as old and 'uncool' thanks to "rebel without a cause", unfortunately the same could not be said for cigarette smoking.) The movie "Splendor in the Grass" was filmed in 1960 and you can see in the movie that some of Deanie's clothes look like they might've been actually modern clothing from the 60s, like Bobbie Brooks, with some alterations used to pass off as late 20's early 30's. Or, it could've just been Mellencamp's way of paying homage to one of his old girlfriend's in the late 60s or 70s who possibly wore Bobbie Brooks. I'm pretty sure the Tastee Freeze reference was to Mellencamp's own teen years because there wasn't any tastee freezes in 1920s Kansas.

"Let the Bible Belt come down, And Save My soul" refers to the religious elements included in the film. In fact, the writer of the story/screenplay played a Protestant Reverend in the movie. Religion became part of an omen or foreshadowing in the story when the Reverend says in his sermon, "Lay not up treasures for yourself on earth. Where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves do break through and steal. But lay up for yourself treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

"Jacky sits back reflects his thoughts for the moment, Scratches his head and does his best james dean. Well you know diane, we oughtta run of the city, Diane says 'Baby, you aint missin' no-thing'" -definite reference to Natalie Wood who plays Deanie. She was in the movie "Rebel without a cause" starring James Dean. The part about the running off to the city I believe is in reference to how Bud ends up going to the city, where everything ends up turning dark and melancholy, which is why the lyrics express "you aint missin' no-thing."

the repeated verse "Oh yeah life goes on, Long after the thrill of livin is gone. Oh yeay say life goes on, Long after the thrill of livin is gone, they walk on" is a sort of modified version of the main theme of the movie "Splendor in the grass" expressed through a line from a Wordsworth's poem 'Ode, Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood,'

"Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower We will grieve not, but rather find Strength in what remains behind."

the "hold on to 16 as long as you can" gives a sort warning to young couples who will likely succumb to the same fate as the couple in the story.