Wild Girl

Album: Balm In Gilead (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Rickie Lee Jones wrote most of this song in the mid-'80s but didn't record it, in part because she couldn't figure out who it was about. After her daughter Charlotte was born in 1988, Jones decided the song was about her, and finished it up. It finally appeared in 2009 on her Balm in Gilead album. One of the reasons Jones didn't give up on the song is that her mother loved it.
  • Jones commented in press materials that Balm In Gilead "is unique because most of it was written over the last 20 years. All the other records, I've written in a year or two or three after finishing the previous one. This one has threads from many, many years." She added that this R&B-flavored opener, "which ended up being about my daughter, was started before (1989's) Flying Cowboys, and it was waiting all these years to finish. For me, the album feels close to a debut, because the only time you ever have to spend all these years writing a song is your first record, right?"
  • Regarding the inspiration for this song, Jones told Paul Zollo (in More Songwriters On Songwriting), "I was thinking of that girl in high school that everybody sleeps with but nobody likes. Who is she? What happened to her? And how could I save her?"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.

Narada Michael Walden - "Freeway of Love"

Narada Michael Walden - "Freeway of Love"They're Playing My Song

As a songwriter and producer, Narada had hits with Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Starship. But what song does he feel had the greatest impact on his career?

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Goodbye, Hello: Ten Farewell Tour Fake-Outs

Goodbye, Hello: Ten Farewell Tour Fake-OutsSong Writing

The 10 biggest "retirement tours" that didn't take.

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & TearsSongwriter Interviews

The longtime BS&T frontman tells the "Spinning Wheel" story, including the line he got from Joni Mitchell.