It has been yet written that Elizabethan song Lady Jane could refer to Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII.

What is troubling is that the song also refer to lady Anne, that could be also Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII - sadly beheaded at the Tower.

Makes me wonder if Jagger is not seeing sometimes himself as Henry VIII.



Lyrics for: Lady Jane

My sweet Lady Jane
When I see you again
Your servant am I
And will humbly remain

Just heed this plea my love
On bended knees my love
I pledge myself to Lady Jane

My dear Lady Anne
I've done what I can
I must take my leave
For promised I am
This play is run my love
Your time has come my love
I've pledged my troth to Lady Jane

Oh my sweet Marie
I wait at your ease
The sands have run out
For your lady and me

Wedlock is nigh my love
Her station's right my love
Life is secure with Lady Jane

All the names in the song fit the history:

"Sweet Marie" might be Anne Boleyn's sister Mary. Before Henry fell for Anne, Mary was his mistress and Henry was probably the father of her son Henry Carey.

Then came his divorce and marriage to Anne Boleyn - Henry was desperate for a legitimate son, but Anne bore him a daughter (the future Elizabeth I). Things were already starting to go wrong with the marriage when Anne had a miscarriage - the child would have been a son. Soon afterwards she was accused of adultery and beheaded.

Henry then married Jane Seymour, who died shortly after giving birth to his son.

the theory marcovandereijk has pointed out makes more sense to me,
especially since Mick's said he didn't have any historical figures in mind.
marcovandereijk pointed out that in DH Lawrence's Lady Chatterly's Lover,
Lady Jane is the female equivalent of John Thomas - terms for genitalia, that is.
the song becomes sweetly autobiographical that way - the boy saw it allll coming, you see. :E
the "class differences" theme in Lady Chatterly is pertinent too - Mick wasn't working-class, of course,
but mixing with the young aristocracy was something new and striking at the time.

i once read an article where someone described Mick as "a man at the mercy of his senses" - i liked that



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2008-02-29 15:31 by with sssoul.

Can someone point me to the right thread for that marcovandereijk comment? The Search function can't find it.

hang on - i'll try ... the search gizmo acts goofy sometimes lately, though

here's one: [www.iorr.org]
sorry, i know he wrote a little more about it sometime earlier than that one too,
but i can't find it. i think the only further detail was that he explained
what he was doing sniffing around Lady Chatterly - but we can hope he'll come around
and re-explain it himself.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-02-29 16:00 by with sssoul.

Speculation from the 60's

Jane - marijuana (Mary Jane)
Anne(phetamine)

I'd say the song is very loosely based on history. Nice Elizabethan vibe though. Later recaptured on VL.

"No Anchovies, Please"

Thanks for the thread reference. Knowing Mick there is probably a bit of both explanations in there - and this bit of history is so well-known that you probably don't have to be deliberately thinking about it, if you start from "Lady Jane" to come up with the other names for a nice "elizabethan" feel to a lyric.

>> Knowing Mick there is probably a bit of both explanations in there - and this bit of history
is so well-known that you probably don't have to be deliberately thinking about it <<

true on both counts - and i'm glad if the Lady Chatterly connection adds another resonant layer to it for you.
after all, what makes great lyrics great is that they resonate on more than one level.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-02-29 16:33 by with sssoul.

Could be that the names rhyme with the last word in the next sentence of the verse?

There ya have it, from a member of the royal family!

"No Anchovies, Please"