Album: Maybe You Should Drive (1994)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Jane St. Clair, the title character of the song, is named after an intersection in Toronto. Jane Street and St. Clair Avenue intersect, which gave Steve Page the idea for the song. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Charles - New York, NY
  • Page, who sings lead on this track, wrote the song with Stephen Duffy, who was the original lead singer in Duran Duran. Duffy and Page also cowrote the Maybe You Should Drive song "The Wrong Man Was Convicted"; he later formed a successful writing partnership with Robbie Williams, resulting in the hits "Radio" and "Tripping."

Comments: 6

  • Julianna from TorontoThe name choice of Julianna actually came from me. The lead singer got the idea to use my name when he met me and my mom when he took his daughter Hannah to this gymboree class when she was young. My mom and him were always partners and he got the idea of the name from learning my name!
  • Sam from Lincoln, NeIn live performances of the song, Steven Page has been known to change the line "no Julianna next to my Evan" to "no Julie Andrews next to my Evan".
  • Herbie from Toronto, CanadaJane and St clair was the home of the slaughter yards in toronto and to this day on hot days you can smell the dead meat
  • Sweet Billy from Colchester, CtThe Julianna / Evan line refers to Julianna Hatfield and Evan Dando, who were dating at the time that Jane was written.
  • Annabeth from Kutztown, PaWhat's w/ the Julianna and Evan line?
  • Elrond47 from Hamilton, CanadaApparently, when Steven Page was taking his friend Stephen Duffy (who also writes some songs with/for BNL) around Toronto for a bit of a tour, Duffy saw the intersection and claimed it would be a beautiful name for a person/song. Page didn't have the heart to tell him that that intersection, as well as the neighbouring areas of those specific streets were anything but beautiful, but came up with the idea for the song anyways. The song itslef seems to be about a relationship the singer had that "Jane" broke off, but that the singer thinks could still work.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.