Alanis Morissette’s “Mary Jane” Lyrics Meaning

Mary Jane is a term which, in musical circles (and as popularized by the late Rick James) serves as a euphemism for weed. However, prior to that, it was in fact recognized as a conventional female name. And such is how it is utilized in this song, as a pseudonym for its subject.

As described by Alanis Morissette in her own words, said subject is meant to represent the kind of woman who tends to go all out for other people but in the process neglect her own wellbeing. This is a modus operandi that she noticed one of her friends had conformed to. 

And on top of that, what also disturbed the songstress is that the fact that others circle, being “narcissistic” as she puts it, aren’t even inclined to be privy to the fact that people around them may be suffering in such a manner. Well Alanis has noticed and moreover sympathizes and empathizes with the subject, thus this song.

Our “Mary Jane”

Most simply explained, Mary Jane comes off as someone who is not only depressed but also relatedly dealing with very serious self-esteem issues. Additionally, as poetically revealed in the third verse, this condition is exacerbated by Mary’s tendency to keep all of these issues swelled up within. 

The first chorus alludes to her possibly being the victim of physical abuse also. But going back to Morissette’s explanation, the mention of Jane being ‘bruised’ is more likely an allusion to some type of psychological trauma.

Therefore in the fourth and conclusive verse, we have the vocalist advising the addressee that now has come the time for her to “be selfish”. Or you know how they say that self-preservation is the first law of nature? Well Alanis is encouraging Mary to preserve herself, not in a physical sense but rather in terms of her emotions and psyche. The way Alanis sees it is that if the addressee does not do so, she is going to continue down a path of self-destruction that is gradually getting worse.

And also, while we’re going about dropping adages, let it be known the first step to overcoming a problem is admitting that you have one. So along those lines, on top of lending her loving support to the addressee, the vocalist is also entreating “Mary” to open up and admit that she has a problem in the first place.

When was “Mary Jane” released?

“Mary Jane” dates back to Alanis Morissette’s third studio album, “Jagged Little Pill“. FYI this album was the project whose success permanently put her on the map. 

This song, not being a single itself, was released with the rest of the album, courtesy of Maverick Records and Reprise Records, on 13 June 1995. That being said, the official singles that came out from “Jagged Little Pill” are:

• “All I Really Want”
• “Head over Feet”
• “You Learn”
• “Ironic”
• “Hand in My Pocket”
• “You Oughta Know”

Credits

This track was written by Alanis Morissette alongside Glen Ballard, who produced the entirety of “Jagged Little Pill”.

The “Jagged Little Pill”

In 995, this album was released as Alanis’s third studio album.

Morissette’s relocation from Toronto to Los Angeles and her subsequent meeting with renowned American songwriter cum record producer, Glen Ballard could be described as a turning point in the then young singer’s music journey.

Glen produced the album which will turn  Morissette into one of the biggest acts to come out of Canada. 

The following record labels were tasked with the album’s release:

• Maverick
• Reprise Records

With global sales exceeding 33 million copies, “Jagged Little Pill” is regarded as one of the best-selling albums of all time. It was certified 2x Diamond in her home country, Canada. This made her the first artist to score such an achievement.

It also enjoyed the following certifications in the following countries:

• 16x Platinum in the US
• 10x Platinum in the UK
• 14x Platinum in Australia
• 9x Platinum in Denmark

An acoustic re-recording of the album was released in June of 2005 to mark the album’s 10th anniversary.

“Jagged Little Pill” spent 72 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart in the US. It was placed at No. 69 on Rolling Stone’s 2020 list, “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

The album has won Morissette nine Grammy nominations. It was nominated for a plethora of awards at the event held in 1996. They include:

• Best New Artist
• Album of the Year
• Song of the Year (“You Oughta Know”)

The Canadian singer won the “Album of The Year” award, making her the youngest to achieve this feat at the time. She was 21 then. Morissette also took home several more Grammys, including:

• “Best Rock Album”
• Best Rock Song (“You Oughta Know”)