Me-Jane

Brilliantly funny song. Tarzan, the ideal macho man provider, from Jane's point of view - all chest beating and screaming, crowding her, overwhelming her til she can't hear herself think. A metaphor for male / female roles in relationships.

at first it seems like the narratress is having an identity crisis, but it turns out that it's really just about some hyperactive Tarzan-type, and his mate's attempts to bring him to earth. All tied to an ultra-hyperactive rhythm, and it works and works wonderfully.

well, there's abuse involved in the tarzan-jane relationship. she's bleeding, and he just doesn't stop hitting her, screaming at her, and beating his chest.

like suitboy said, tarzan and jane are metaphors. the man is the stanley kowalski-esque brute, and the narrator is the receiver of the abuse. the split head part could have a double meaning; her head could be physically split open, or she could be losing her mind.

she calls him by his first name, which shows that she's trying to calm him with civilization. i suppose that this idea goes with the gender-stereotype (found often in romantic lit.) that women try to hold back their men and civilize them.

Can't you guys see it? She's with her period and Tarzan wants to have sex with her but she doesn't want to: "Move it over, Tarzan, can't you see I'm bleeding?" Seems like he wants to do it all the time: "Don't you ever stop and give me time to breathe in?", "Good lord you never stop!" And the song ends with Jane saying to Tarzan for not loading it on her...

These are the actual lyrics posted on her site, pjharvey.net

DAMN YOUR CHEST-BEATING, JUST YOU STOP YOUR SCREAMING YOUR SPLITTING THROUGH MY HEAD AND SWINGING FROM THE CEILING OH MOVE IT OVER TARZAN, CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BLEEDING I'VE CALLED YOU BY YOUR FIRST NAME, GOOD LORD IT'S

ME-JANE I'M RUNNING SPLIT HEAD, IM REELING ME-JANE, ME-JANE

DAMN YOUR CHEST-BEATING JUST YOU STOP YOUR SCREAMING ALL THE TIME HE HUNTING, SWIMMING, FISHING, BREEDING DON'T YOU EVER STOP AND GIVE ME TIME TO BREATHE-IN I'VE CALLED YOU BY YOUR FIRST NAME, GOOD LORD IT'S

ME-JANE I'M RUNNING SPLIT HEAD, IM REELING ME-JANE, I'M TRYING TO MAKE SENSE YOU'RE SCREAMING

DON'T LORD IT ON ME DON'T LORD IT ON ME DON'T LORD IT OVER ME

TARZAN I'M PLEADING, STOP YOUR FUCKING SCREAMING YOU'VE GOT ME NAILING WALLS, IM HANGING FROM THE CEILING OH MOVE IT OVER TARZAN CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BLEEDING GOOD LORD YOU NEVER STOP

DON'T LORD IT ON ME GOOD LORD ITS ON ME