In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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
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
Lyrics submitted by capitol76, edited by rosalyre, Mellow_Harsher, Dianimal66, zhizhumao
Sweet Jane Lyrics as written by Lou Reed
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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As said, it's a smack song. It has three character. Jack, the singer (me, I'm in a rock n' roll band) and Sweet Jane. The link is between Jack and the singer -- which is Jane, or heroin. He goes home, cranks up the classical music and lets Jane flow.
The last verse explains the hypocrisy of it all. That hypocrisy is that lovers hate being in love on some level. Actors hate their own performances. And junkies hate their addiction. Or maybe it is saying that people in the world -- the bankers like Jack -- are just like the junkies, only too goddamned self-righteous to admit it. Either way, it's about addiction and the addict's love/hate relationship with it.
Not hard to see it that way knowing Lou Reed's history with addiction.
I said it to one person, I will say it to you: I don't know who told you "jane" is slang for heroin, but it absolutely is not. I dare you to find that term used in a drug slang dictionary, let alone anywhere, except for when people refer to this song. Seriously, go look. You won't find it, because no one uses "Sweet Jane" to refer to heroin. Theres just about every other name for H under the sun including "sweet jesus" and "sweet dreams", but not sweet jane. Not to imply you're a square for not being aware of this, but I have no idea where people are getting this idea. I only ever hear about it in conjunction to this song, and it never made sense to me. Why wouldn't he potentially be referring to weed? That would make a hell of alot more sense then heroin, because people actually call pot Mary jane, and I could conceivably see someone calling Marijuana sweet jane affectionately. In my experience, I have never heard a single junkie refer to H as Jane, and I live in Portland. That may not mean much to you, where ever you are, but let me be the first to tell you, there are alot of damn sleepwalkers (junkies) here. So if heroin were ever called Jane, you would have heard it used, not just in portland, but other places as well, which, oddly enough you don't. You just don't. Maybe its because saying "I'm gonna do up some sweet jane" sounds like you're toking up, not shooting up, or inhaling the vapors from tinfoil. I really don't know where you got that from. Just because its lou reed does not automatically mean its going to be about heroin. So, cute, but you're wrong. At least about the terminology. I just find it so pretentious when people claim every velvet underground song is about heroin. For gods' sakes they were notorious drug addicts and did just abut every goddamn thing under the sun. It seems pretty damn obvious to me that this song was intentionally written too be ambiguous. How about applying your own personal meaning to a song instead of being that jack-ass that stands up and cries "songs about heroin, I know, i looked it up, and it turns out lou reed did a fuckload of junk" be a little more creative in your reasoning, why not. Its easy, just use your imagination.
The argument that this song is about heroin has nothing to do with whether or not it's common slang. You should look up "metaphor"; it's a powerful literary device.
@blackinkinmyblood Sorry, I think your interpretation is a load of rubbish. Just because Lou Reed played around with drugs you are trying to dig deep (very deep...clutching at straws in fact!) to find some kind of drug references in this song where none actually exists. Sorry to burst your bubble but as most others here already know, this song is just a very nice song about normal people living normal lives, that's all.
Based on other Velvets songs, and also based on Lou Reed's approach to songwriting, if he wanted to say something about heroin, he'd just say it. For example, by writing a song with that name.