Beck - "Debra"

For my music poetry, I chose the song "Debra" by Beck, the master lyricist of the 1990s. Now, before you stop and go "oh dan jenks this is such a joke go home" hear me out!

Speaker: Beck
Audience: "Jenny" from JC Penny
Meaning: Humans, in light of desperation, often hide their vulnerabilities and charade them with things like sexual advances.
Tone: Arrogant yet sad.

Beck shows us a scene of a man in search for love. So in search for love that he cold-steps to girls who work at JC Penny. But really we see someone who just wants human contact.

Beck sings:
I met you at JC Penny
I think your nametag said Jenny
I could step to you
With a fresh pack of gum

Now, things get complicated though -- the chorus is about how he wants to get with Jenny, but also her sister -- he thinks her name is Debra.

The chorus goes:

I wanna get with you (Oh girl)
And your sister
I think her name is Debra

While one might think "get with" means "let's go hook up" what it really is is a cry for human contact from Beck. Nobody would really tell Jenny that they wanted to get with her sister, it's rude and Jenny would never get with Beck after that.

So, no, the song is not about sex, but about genuine human interaction.

P O E T R Y

The full lyrics are located here.