#37 "Classic Girl" by Jane's Addiction

Jane's Addiction is one of the more original bands to come out of the early alternative scene of the late 80's. They were an odd hybrid of rock, glam, and metal with a dose of middle-eastern mysticism added at the end. A lot of people always cite Nirvana of the great band of that era, but JA pre-dated them by a good bit and you can hear their influence on a lot of acts that came later. Sadly, Jane's original run was short and only produced two original albums, but it was great while it lasted.

"Classic Girl" is the closer on the original band's last release. It's an assorted album of hard rockers, radio-friendly fun like "Been Caught Stealin," and some Kashmir-esque epics on the second side. But as crazy and heavy and loud as Jane's Addiction could be, Perry Farrell has a real sensitive and thoughtful side too. The album came with a little booklet where Farrell spoke about the dangers of artistic censorship because his first choice for an album cover, which consisted of some nude sculptures, was rejected by record sellers and replaced with a plain white sleeve. He also wrote about the oppression of blacks and women. It was pretty deep stuff and I've never forgotten his words about females and their inherent beauty and suffering. "Classic Girl," which is just a sweet little love song, always makes me think of that side of JA.

There are some lines at the end that I really like. Farrell sings, "They may say 'those were the days,' but for us these are the days." I love that. So many of us look nostalgically back at the past, but this guy is smart enough to know that the present is pretty damned good too. And then he follows that up with "... and you know you're my girl... such a classic girl." I just find that to be so complimentary. A classic girl is a great enduring individual, not some new-fangled trendy bimbo. That's my kind of lady.

Oh... I almost forgot! Be sure to listen to the VERY end of the song. When it seems almost over and the music has faded out, if you wait just a few seconds you'll hear this sweet little "Good night." A nice finish.

"Classic Girl" is from the album "Ritual de lo Habitual." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.