WRITTEN:
By Eric and Perry in late 1985. Eric came up with the music.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS:
From an interview in late 1988, (available on the Words And Music promo)...
Interviewer: "'Jane Says' is almost a 'signature song' for the band. It has a real Lou Reed-observational tone to it, almost like a short story with real people and real events. People call it the 'signature song.' Do you feel closer to this song particularly than any of the others. It really seems to be one of the more popular songs."
Perry: "Yeah, I do as a result of the reaction that the people have had. If it wouldn't have been a popular song, I probably wouldn't have thought of it any differently. But let's face it, it's got the name of the band in it. And it's a real, real 'Hollywood' song.
It's funny that you're talking about Jane because I was just with her last night. And we were doing interviews with Jane. And it's also about a close friend, so I guess that puts a spot in your heart. That'll always be there. Jane is like the sweetest girl in the world if you ever met her. There is a real softness in my heart for that song."

From an article in Kerrang magazine, 9/88...
"We don't often do 'Jane Says' live. We have done, but the mood has to be right, it's got to be special," says Eric A. "We don't want to play something that's special to us to an audience that..."
"Is screaming for Iggy Pop," laughs Perry. "Everyone has had a real heavy experience, everyone's got one, and to sit there and tell it to a stranger, or strangers, doesn't that cheapen you, you know?"

From an interview done before Jane's performed the song on Saturday Night Live on November 8, 1997. Excerpted from BAM magazine, #522, 11/21/97...
The three are still just as moved by the woman who inspired their signature song. "I think we picked a great subject, because Jane is a very beautiful woman here," Perry says, pointing to his heart. "She could also be called 'Plain Jane.'-- thick glasses, very outcast, very insecure, a lot like us here. I look at her like a tragic figure. She's a Smith graduate, she's extremely intelligent, which is very unappealing to most men. She still hasn't found love, which is pretty much like us." He looks at Steven. "Well, you've found love."
"Sure, I have love," he replies.
"And you've kind of found love," Perry says to Dave.
Not wanting to go on record, Dave dodges Perry's outstretched finger. The ensuing laughter doesn't sidetrack Perry. "I still haven't found my soul mate yet," he continues. "And every time I see Jane she's just not quite right, but she's always hopeful that something great is about to happen. 'I'm gonna kick tomorrow.' Everytime I see her, I just feel like I wanna cry. She's a very warm person; she'd give you her last apple if it was in her sack of lunch. At the same time, no one really appreciates her and she can't quite get herself together. She's one of these people that lives slightly out of linear time. There's us and then there's Jane. She can talk to you and she can see you, but she's always slightly somewhere else. I don't know, maybe everybody feels like that and that's probably why people can relate to that song."

Casey Niccoli, 99...
"Unfortunatly a video was never made for jane says, mainly because perry thought the song was already too popular and liked to shy away from too much overexposure."

LIVE:
* Played occasionally in '86 and '87 (acoustically). Rarely played in 1988. Then played occasionally from '89 through '91, as an encore.

* 1997, 2001, 2002: played at nearly every show.

* While in Porno For Pyros, Perry would constantly get requests from fans to play "Jane Says," but as far as I know, they never did it.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
* Jane's last name is Bainter. Here's a nice article from August 2001 which talks a lot about the longevity of the song, and checks in with Jane, herself: 'Jane Says,' and We Still Listen

* The drum loop [used on the live version of the song since 1988-- so Steve could be free to play steel drum] was programmed by a good friend of the bands' named Jo Paul.

* Don't believe that Japanese/Australian Live & Rare Jane's cd that lists "Jane Says (demo version)".. it is identical to the Nothing's Shocking version.

* Many people believe "Jane Says" is somewhat of a testimonial to the highly influential rock group the Velvet Underground. Lead by Lou Reed, they had similarly titled songs, "Lisa Says" and "Stephanie Says," as well as "Sweet Jane."

* "Jane Says" has been covered live many times by Poe (you may remember she had a hit in '96 with that "Angry Johnny" song).
The song has also been covered live by Limp Bizkit (there was talk of them recording a studio version with Filter's Richard Patrick, but not sure whatever happened with that).
The band Xanax 25 also covered "Jane Says" on one of their CDs.

LYRICS:
Jane says
I'm done with sergio
He treats me like a ragdoll
She hides
The television
Says "i don't owe him nothing,
But if he comes back again
Tell him to wait right here for me or,
Try again tomorrow"
"I'm gonna kick tomorrow..."
"I'm gonna kick tomorrow..."
Jane says
"Have you seen my wig around?
I feel naked without it"
She knows
They all want her to go
But that's ok man
She don't like them anyway
Jane says
"I'm going away to spain
when i get my money saved
I'm gonna start tomorrow"
"I'm gonna kick tomorrow..."
"I'm gonna kick tomorrow..."
She gets mad
And she starts to cry
Takes a swing but she can't hit!
She don't mean no harm
She just don't know...
What else to do about it
Jane goes
To the store at eight
She walks up on st. andrews
She waits
And gets her dinner there
She pulls her dinner
From her pocket
Jane says
"I've never been in love - no"
She don't know what it is
She only knows if someone wants her
"I only want 'em if they want me,..."
"I only know they want me..."
Jane says...
Jane says...


NOTES ON LYRICS:
I've been told that St. Andrew's is a street near where Perry used to live in L.A. which was a well known area to score drugs.
I've also heard that there's a wig store near where Perry grew up in New York called St. Andrew's Wigs or something like that. hmm... coincidence? Probably.

FAN INTERPRETATIONS:
from Trevor...
dont you think they should have put jane says on the ritual album cuz then it would be on every single janes album yeah i used to like that song i used to get all teary eyes when perry sang "jane says, i never been in love, dont know what it is" that is soooo sad

from Chase...
"Jane says, I'm done with sergio, He treats me like a ragdoll"
--Jane could be upset at her boyfriend/pimp Sergio because he is always 'renting' her out to 'the highest bidder'
"She hides, The television, Says 'i don't owe him nothing, But if he comes back again, Tell him to wait right here for me or, Try again tomorrow'"
--She takes the t.v. 'cuz its one of Sergio's favorite things to do after a 'hard' days work (possibly) and shes pissed for being prostituted
"I'm gonna kick tomorrow...I'm gonna kick tomorrow..."
--Shes pissed about what has happened in her life, so she will 'kick tomorrow' possibly changing her life, or getting fucked on drugs
"Jane says, 'Have you seen my wig around? I feel naked without it'"
--Her wig could be her only sense of security, or she wants to look different while going out so the men she has been with do not ask her for more
"She knows, They all want her to go, But that's ok man, She don't like them anyway"
--The members of the house/apartment she lives in wants her out because of her ditching Sergio
"Jane says, 'I'm going away to spain when i get my money saved, I'm gonna start tomorrow'"
--She wants to leave her old life, and start another
"She gets mad and she starts to cry, Takes a swing but she can't hit! She don't mean no harm, She just don't know...What else to do about it"
--She is very frustrated about the whole prostitute thing so she 'takes a swing', trying to get rid of some of that frustration
"Jane goes to the store at eight, she walks up on st. andrews, she waits and gets her dinner there, she pulls her dinner from her pocket"
-She goes out for some fresh air, and gets dinner, and she has no money since she quit prostituting that her only dinner would be some pieces of bread or left overs from an earlier meal that she keeps in her pocket.
"Jane says, 'I've never been in love - no' she don't know what it is, she only knows if someone wants her, 'I only want 'em if they want me...I only know they want me...'"
--She has never been in love, so she doesn't know what it is (obviously) so she would date anyone that would want her in her attempt to find love, emotional, not physical and she knows that there is someone out there for her