Just a Girl.html



“Just a Girl”
Single by No Doubt from the album Tragic Kingdom
Released	1995 (North America)
Format	CD
Genre	Ska punk
Length	3:26
Label	Interscope
Writer(s)	Gwen Stefani, Tom Dumont
Producer	Matthew Wilder
Certification	Platinum (RIANZ)
No Doubt singles chronology
"Doghouse" (1994) "Just a Girl" (1995) "Spiderwebs" (1996)
Alternate covers
European single cover

"Just a Girl" is a song written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont for No Doubt's third album Tragic Kingdom. The song was released in 1995 as the album's lead single and helped the band break into mainstream music.

"Just a Girl" was first aired on Californian radio show Ska Parade.¹ It was also featured in the movie Clueless and the opening credits of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. Professional wrestler Mickie James used the song as her theme when she wrestled as Alexis Laree in Ohio Valley Wrestling.

Writing and inspiration

After Eric Stefani left No Doubt in 1994, his sister Gwen Stefani took on the role of songwriter, which dramatically changed the band's musical style. Tragic Kingdom was the first album on which Gwen Stefani had written most of the material and there were claims that the band had "sold out" - dropped their own style to pick up a more popular one in order to make more money. Tom Dumont explained the change of style in an interview with Backstage Online:

The song itself is written about Gwen Stefani's exasperation over female stereotypes, portraying women as weak and in need of a man to look after them. This is evident from lyrics such as "Don't you think I know / Exactly where I stand? / This world is forcing me / To hold your hand." She explained her inspiration in an interview for BAM Magazine:

Music

The song's main riff, performed on a guitar and a Roland Jupiter-8.

"Just a Girl" is a moderately fast song at 110 beats per minute and is written in the key of D major. Like the majority of popular music, it is set in common time.⁴ The voice of the singer, Gwen Stefani, spans nearly an octave and a half, from B₄ to E₆.⁴ The opening riff that Dumont uses was taken from an earlier effort by keyboardist Eric Stefani.⁵ The song is heavily influenced by New Wave music, using synth noise from a Roland Jupiter-8, '80s keyboards and effects, and retro sounds.

Reception

Critical

Significance

Music video

The two bathrooms from the music video.

The music video was directed by Mark Kohr.

The video begins with the band members loading their silver car with recording equipment. Gwen Stefani stands in front of a damaged brown car and sings. They drive away, with Adrian Young, Stefani and Tony Kanal sitting in the backseats and Tom Dumont driving. The band arrive at a building where Stefani enters the ladies' bathroom, carrying a boombox, and the rest of the band enters the gents', carrying speakers, instruments and electrical equipment. The ladies' bathroom is clean, brightly decorated and well furnished with flowers, fruit and two female assistants. The gents' bathroom is dark, dirty and bare-walled. The men set up and play their equipment in the gents' while Stefani sings in ladies'. Various men and women enter their respective bathrooms; the men use the urinals and the woman check their make-up, before dancing with the band. Eventually, the men take to lifting each other through the ceiling to get into the other bathroom and the video ends with everyone dancing together in the ladies'.

Charts

Track listings

American CD single⁸

1. "Just a Girl" – 3:31
2. "Different People" – 4:38
3. "Just a Girl" (video)

European CD single⁹

1. "Just a Girl" – 3:32
2. "Just a Girl" (live from London, UK) – 5:39
3. "Don't Speak" (live from Hamburg, Germany) – 5:28
4. "Hey You" (live from Den Haag, Holland) – 3:20

German CD single⁹

1. "Just a Girl" – 3:29
2. "Different People" – 4:34
3. "Open the Gate" – 3:38

References

1. ^ Layne, Anni. "The Ska Parade Is Coming To Town". Rolling Stone. May 9, 1998. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
2. ^ "Interview with Tom Dumont". No Doubt official website (October 31, 1996). Retrieved on October 23, 2008.
3. ^ Hermanson, Wendy (November 17, 1995). "Just a Girl". BAM (San Francisco). ISSN 0194-5793. OCLC 4855429, http://www.nodoubt.com/press/articles/01Bam.asp. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Just a Girl" sheet music. Hal Leonard Corporation. 1995.
5. ^ "Just a Girl". Montoya, Paris and Lanham, Tom. 2003. The Singles 1992-2003 (liner notes).
6. ^ "Chart positions of "Just a Girl"". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved on October 25, 2008.
7. ^ "Chart positions of "Just a Girl"". Billboard. Retrieved on October 25, 2008.
8. ^ "American track listing of "Just a Girl"". No Doubt official website. Retrieved on October 26, 2008.
9. ^ ^{a b} "International track listing of "Just a Girl"". No Doubt official website. Retrieved on October 26, 2008.

External links

• No Doubt's official site
  • "Just a Girl" lyrics and guitar tabulature