# "She aint a beauty, but hey she's alright": Springsteen Quiz **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000 "2006-01-21T18:07:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/21 "2006-01-22T04:09:23Z")
OK. What about: 1. Gloria 2. Doreen 3. Mary (another one!) 4. Janey ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/22 "2006-01-22T04:20:50Z")
1. Carol ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/23 "2006-01-22T04:40:33Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > 1. Maria - Lost in the Flood I was thinking of a different song about Maria (think Johnstown Flood), but you are correct that \*\*Lost in the Flood \*\* also mentions her. (“Some storefront incarnation of Maria, she’s putting on me the stare”.) ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/24 "2006-01-22T04:43:23Z")
> [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#): > > I think you’re misquoting in your title. It should be “You ain’t no beauty but hey you’re alright,” which my ex-wife heard and muttered “Just what every girl wants to be told.” I did that on purpose to better reflect the theme of the quiz. (Saying “you” didn’t make sense when referring to 'them"). ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/25 "2006-01-22T16:45:44Z")
1. Mary from The Rising Daughter found a few more: 1. Maria 2. Leah 3. Bobbie Jean ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/26 "2006-01-22T22:28:56Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > 1. Mary from The Rising > > 2. Bobbie Jean That was the 4th Mary I was getting at. I’ll take a wild guess at #24: The name of the song is **Bobby Jean**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/27 "2006-01-22T22:45:37Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > I’ll take a wild guess at #24: The name of the song is **Bobby Jean**. 😉 Yeah, that was a ringer. From which album? (Too easy, I know.) ---
**Author:** ![igloorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@igloorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igloorex)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/28 "2006-01-23T01:27:41Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > 1. Janey There are two I can think of… Spirits in the Night – “Me and crazy Janey was makin’ love in the dirt, singin’ our birthday song” Incident on 57th Street: “Janey opens her eyes to see Johnny up and puttin his clothes on.” How about: Candy (an easy, if old, one) Cherry ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/29 "2006-01-23T04:21:43Z")
> [@igloorex](#): > > There are two I can think of… > Spirits in the Night – “Me and crazy Janey was makin’ love in the dirt, singin’ our birthday song” > > Incident on 57th Street: “Janey opens her eyes to see Johnny up and puttin his clothes on.” > > How about: > Candy (an easy, if old, one) See #s 3,5 and 10 of the original post. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/30 "2006-01-23T04:23:07Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Yeah, that [Bobby Jean] was a ringer. From which album? (Too easy, I know.) **Born in the USA** ---
**Author:** ![Obsidian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@Obsidian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obsidian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/31 "2006-01-23T08:37:12Z")
**Leah** is also the title of the song. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/32 "2006-01-23T13:07:44Z")
> [@igloorex](#): > > Candy (an easy, if old, one) “Candy’s Room” (In Candy’s room, there are pictures of her heroes on the wall…") _Darkness On The Edge Of Town_ ---
**Author:** ![Not\_A\_Tame\_Lion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e36b37/32.png) [@Not\_A\_Tame\_Lion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_A_Tame_Lion)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/33 "2006-01-23T17:45:50Z")
I think there’s a misperception up there: “Bobby Jean” is not a girl. I think that song is about a male friend, a buddy. Specifically, I think it was written around the time Steve Van Zandt left the E Street Band. It may be a veiled reference to that friendship. And I don’t think Bruce really has a thing for girls named Mary. It’s probably more about meter than anything else. (Two syllables, nice common “e” sound at the end.) ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/34 "2006-01-23T19:15:50Z")
> [@Not A Tame Lion](#): > > I think there’s a misperception up there: “Bobby Jean” is not a girl. I think that song is about a male friend, a buddy. Specifically, I think it was written around the time Steve Van Zandt left the E Street Band. It may be a veiled reference to that friendship. > > And I don’t think Bruce really has a thing for girls named Mary. It’s probably more about meter than anything else. (Two syllables, nice common “e” sound at the end.) Are you sure of that **Lion**? The narrator in the song certainly talks about Bobby Jean like she was a woman. He does call her ‘baby’ _I’m just callin’ one last time, not to change your mind but just to say I miss you baby, good luck, good bye Bobby Jean_ Man, I love that song. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_A\_Tame\_Lion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e36b37/32.png) [@Not\_A\_Tame\_Lion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_A_Tame_Lion)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/35 "2006-01-23T20:24:05Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Are you sure of that **Lion**? The narrator in the song certainly talks about Bobby Jean like she was a woman. He does call her ‘baby’ > > _I’m just callin’ one last time, not to change your mind > but just to say I miss you baby, > good luck, good bye > Bobby Jean_ > > Man, I love that song. Sure? No. But I seem to recall hearing some recording of the song–it might have been one of the live bootleg versions–where Bruce introduced the song with one of those long, rambling stories he tells (you know what I mean) in which he was fairly explicit that the song was about losing a friend, not a lover. Maybe I’m conflating one memory with another, but I’d swear I heard that. I don’t have all my Bruce music on this computer; maybe I’ll check when I get home today. As far as the lyrical content goes, the “baby” thing may say one thing, but I think the rest of the lyrics point more toward a friend than a girlfriend. Of course, it’s notable that the name can be either a man’s or woman’s name. Perhaps it’s purposeful blurring of the lines between a friendship song and a romantic song–meaning “Bobby Jean” is meant to be whatever it evokes in the listener. After all, Bruce is a pretty smart guy. I wouldn’t put it past him. On other matters, “Janey” is also in the title of the song “Janey Don’t You Lose Heart” on the _Tracks_ collection. That collection also includes the obvious “Frankie” and “Linda Let Me Be The One”. I can’t recall any other gals named on those disks, at least not named in the song titles. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/36 "2006-01-23T20:26:47Z")
Yeah, and I buy that the song could be connected to Steve departing. I always interpreted the song as being about friendship (not romance), but friendship between a guy and a girl. As you say though, the sexes of the singer or the subject aren’t really that relevant in that song. ---
**Author:** ![liberty3701](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@liberty3701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liberty3701)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/37 "2006-01-23T20:36:06Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > **Sherry** is from I’m in Love With a Jersey Girl. No, wait, that’s another **Sandy** I think. Yeah, that one’s Sandy. He doesn’t mention a name in “[Jersey Girl](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bruce-springsteen/25113.html).” And that was originally written by [Tom Waits](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/tom-waits/138860.html) about his wife, so I dunno if it would have counted. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000/38 "2006-01-23T20:59:07Z")
> [@liberty3701](#): > > He doesn’t mention a name in “[Jersey Girl](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bruce-springsteen/25113.html).” And that was originally written by [Tom Waits](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/tom-waits/138860.html) about his wife, so I dunno if it would have counted. Dang, you’re right… I was hearing lyrics from 4th of July in my head… it’s got some sha-la-las in it too, and I got confused. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-aint-a-beauty-but-hey-shes-alright-springsteen-quiz/341000.md?page=1)