LogFAQs > #957053873

52. The Velvet Underground Sweet Jane (1970)
from the album Loaded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkumhBVPGdg

Key lyrics:
But anyone who ever had a heart
Oh, they wouldnt turn around and break it

After creating two of the most experimental albums in rock during the late-60s, The Velvet Underground mellowed out after John Cale left the band. Sweet Jane is a simple pop rock tune, the type that proves its grand experimenters did, in fact, know how to make typically pleasant music and simply had bigger ideas to prove. As far as pop rock goes, this is simply one of the best.

Lou Reed was an unusual lead for a rock band. Sweet Jane helped bring his chill attitude to the front. It turned out that, when not singing about heroin or sex dungeons, Reed gives off a neighborly warmth. He sings about two subjects as a distant observer with an almost monotonous amble. Here and there, Reed inserts key exclamations, as if his typically cold demeanor cannot restrain the warmth of the scene he is describing. His low energy performance sets up an explosive third verse, where he turns his sights on the evil mothers who try to paint the world as a dire place. His impassioned delivery hits so much harder after being taught to think of him as cool and collected, a burst of sincerity from an unexpected source.

The simple structure of the instrumentation is a large part of the appeal. It has been covered numerous times, and one could easily argue the Cowboy Junkies did it better. The key to making a simple song last is all in the performance. Reed imbues Sweet Jane with a mirthful energy, joyous while acknowledging a world-weary view. If their earlier work was a journey through the myriad taboo subjects people pursue to find inner peace, Sweet Jane is their message distilled to make your own happiness in this world.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/