Lyrics:Soldier Jane [Version (a)]:
No one cares what dress she wears at all
Tattered rags and paper bags and all
She's the one sleeping in the dirt
Drag her down, don't let her drown in dirt
Lovers drag their canes across the gates
Gamblers light candles for the days
No one wake her up, she's sleeping still
So put a candle on her windowsill
Soldier Jane, don't be afraid
Take your heart out of the shell
Take your heart out of the shell
Don't throw it away
Stars, they strike the darkness from a room
Knives, they take the poison from the wound
Cars, they drive us down into the ruins
And sweep our cares away with dirty brooms
Soldier Jane, don't be afraid
Take your heart out of the shell
Take your heart out of the shell
Don't be afraid
The Song:"Soldier Jane" can be found on
The Information. When asked about the song, Beck talked about James Gadson, the drummer, and how they played him lots of Krautrock, so the song has a "Germanic thing going on." On top of the mechanical Krautrock rhythm though is a beautiful melody and some terrific atmosphere.
The chorus is the overriding point of the lyrics: trying to convince Jane to love. Why she is afraid, and of who or what, is left vague. Beck starts the song with a relatively awkward verse (it rhymes "all" with "all" and "dirt" with "dirt") which feels like it was left out of "
Girl." This portrait here (of Jane, I presume) isn't a flattering one.
After that verse though, the verses and song get much better. The beginning is all about trying to give a sign to someone ("dragging canes across the gates" and lighting candles). Lovers and gamblers take chances, they're not asleep, missing out on life. Jane is though. There's a candle on the windowsill, and she's missing it. Life may hurt (like a knife), or be blinding (like the stars), or even drive you into the ruins (like a car), but it may also remove the darkness, cure the poison, or lead somewhere. You don't have to be a soldier, hard and stubborn and in your shell. Let your heart out.