Mary Jane

What's the matter Mary Jane, you had a hard day As you place the don't disturb sign on the door

This first line is in reference to anybody who feels the need to shut themselves away, because of feelings of paranoia potentially induced by marajuana, or because of some other pain or deep rooted unhappiness that has eroded at a person's self esteem to the extent that they feel unable to interact with others

You lost your place in line again, what a pity You never seem to want to dance anymore

Mary Jane feels that she has let herself down by not reaching her expectations of herself, and fails to fit in. As a result she shies away from participating in the things that used to bring her happiness and becomes withdrawn.

It'sa long way down On this roller coaster The last chance streetcar Went off the track And you're on it

The first part of this phrase reminds us that no matter how anxious or depressed we may feel, things can always get worse. Once you get trapped into the cycle of self destruction it is inevitable that things will gradually worsen as you become less able to interact/eat/stay sober. While you are damaging yourself in whichever way, you will never be able to gain the stability and happiness that you deserve.

I hear you're counting sheep again Mary Jane What's the point of trying' to dream anymore

Reference to insomnia which is generally caused by anxiety and withdrawal from drugs. Dreaming can seem futile when we doubt ourselves, and the pain and frustration that we feel when we know that we can never be our 'best' is devastating.

I hear you're losing weight again Mary Jane Do you ever wonder who you're losing it for

Loosing weight in this phrase could be a metaphor for loosing a part of oneself, such as one's mind, one's abilities etc. By questioning the intention of this, Alanis draws us to the point that we should question our actions and our decisions.

Well it's full speed baby In the wrong direction

While we are not in control of our lives for whatever reason, it is likely that things will spiral out of control and become extremely difficult to revere. Habits and rituals have a tendency of governing our behaviour, and we should acknowledge this

There's a few more bruises If that's the way You insist on heading

Reminds us that we do make our own choices, and that we we will suffer the damage of our own self destruction unless we learn to overcome our inner demons

Please be honest Mary Jane Are you happy Please don't censor your trears

A lot of us avoid the issue of whether or not we are happy. Here Alanis encourages you to be true to your own feelings and to be in touch with your emotions. Repressing things will only make them seem worse

You're the sweet crusader And you're on your way

You can changes, you have the power to change and it's sweet that you are doing your best to reform, essntially you have the capacity to reform

You're the last great innocent And that's why I love you

You do have redeeming qualities worth acknowledging, and you need to learn to like yourself for them. Tries to show the sufferer that they are valued

So take this moment Mary Jane and be selfish Worry not about the cars that go by

To survive you need to look after your own interests and stop mistreating yourself. The cars point reminds the sufferer not to get caught up in trivial surroundings

All that matters Mary Jane is your freedom Keep warm my dear, keep dry

The most important thing is that you are free from whatever demon or powerful hold that has a destructive influence over you. Reminds suffere to look after themself

Tell me Tell me What's the matter Mary Jane

Share your problems!