JESSICA        
(words and music by Rick Springfield)          

When you walked into the room looking like Jean Harlow 
Oh Jessie, everyone looked at you, you're a lady 
Though I know that you've been around the world 
Maybe two or three times in your daddy's pocket 
I'm gonna break that rich-bitch thing with you

Oh, Jessica, you're a lady 
If it takes all night you're gonna be nice 
Oh, Jessica, I think lady 
That cold, hard front could melt like ice 
Jessica, Jessica, Jessica, Jessica 
Cold like a killer's eyes 
Stay with me Jessica

You're a lady of the world, you've been to Paris and London 
But Jessie, it doesn't mean a thing to you when you're lonely 
Though you'd have to have a heart of stone 
To put me on my knees 
I know you ain't got it 
I'm gonna get to you no matter what you do

Oh, Jessica, you're a lady 
If it takes all night you're gonna be nice 
Oh, Jessica, I think lady 
That cold, hard front could melt like ice 

Jessica, Jessica, 
Jessica, Jessica 
Cold like a killer's eyes 
Stay with me Jessica
Stay with me Jessica

Jessica, you're a lady 
Jessica, you're a lady 
Jessica, Jessica, 
oh Jessica, you're a lady 
Take me home in your big black car 
Oh Jessica, I think lady 
You're not as hard as they think you are
Jessica, Jessica, Jessica, Jessica 
Fire up your cold heart 

And stay with me, Jessica 
Stay with me, Jessica 
Stay with me, Jessica 
Jessica, you're a lady 
Jessica, you're a lady 
Jessica, Jessica

(total playing time: 2:58 )

Song Facts: This can be found on Wait for Night.

According to US

I will never hear this one without seeing the hair flip thing on the Mean Salsa Machine happening. Someone  mentioned the substandard lip synching, but I would not be able to comment on that as I was too involved with watching that hair move about and him strutting around in that outfit ;-)

Anyway, the song…Gluttony is my sin of choice here. Jessica’s gluttony for the material things in life akin to Madonna’s Material Girl, and the man’s gluttony for the woman. He desires her as much as she desires objects. It is a great big bowl of glutton soup with these two.

I love the Jean Harlow line – immediately I can see what this chick looks like and picture that cold, icy front. 

“Daddy’s pocket” – I think this is daddy as in Sugar Daddy. I always imagine that Jessica is with another man who can supply her with things where our hero can supply her with love. She is a user and Rick fancies taming her cold, greedy heart.

“Rich-bitch”…this was the first time I head Rick cuss – giggle – I loved it ;-) Immature, maybe – so sue me – I was 12! LOL

“I’m gonna get to you no matter what you do” – this reminds me so much of Jessie’s Girl. Sort of that stalkerish theme that he runs with when singing about unrequited love. But whereas in JG he hides in the shadows and watches feeling “dirty”, here, he comes out swinging and tells the girl how he feels. I think I prefer this approach…just tell her how you feel and no way can she refuse you, Rick!

And again, I like the whole 20’s feel of the song. Big, brash woman, big black car, cold like a killer’s eyes…I see a black and white movie with a woman in a long satin dress with a slit up the side and the tall, dark, handsome man wooing her away from money. SIGH…I love this stuff! I think I was Born Out Of Time too!

And as others have pointed out…that “if it takes all night, you’re gonna be nice” line. I can just see Jean Harlow saying, “Oh really??” Dang what a great image!

Good song, good song!!!!! Anna C.

Not a big fan of this song. I just watched the performance of this from the Mean Salsa Machine and not the greatest lip synching I've ever seen, that's for sure. Not saying that's a bad thing, either. You watch that and see him today, and boy has he come a long way.
Anyway, the thing that strikes me most about this song is where or where did the confidence come from? He's going to take this rich girl and change her completely. Is that right? And then of course there's the reference to old Hollywood that creeps out of his songs so often, or did back then. I think this song is pretty well written, it's got a smoothness to it, but I guess I'm not loving the music. - rlh

Ever since I've seen Rick's performance from the 70's of this song, that's the only image I have in my head when this song plays. Rick standing at the mic in the white suit, looking all John Travolta-Saturday Night Fever-ish. It wasn't that great of a performance so I don't know why it's stuck in my head, but it is. It's not a bad image to have I guess, but it hampers the ability to formulate an articulate opinion of this song. 

I like this song, I think it's a pretty jazzy number to start off the side with. (<snicker> that statement just dated me, didn't it?) In these times of CD's, there is no side 1 or side 2, and I kind of miss that sometimes. You know, that nice little break in the action for a bathroom run or whatever. Or in the case of listening to a stack of albums, it could be days before you got to the other side :-) Anyway -- 

"Oh Jessica, you're a lady if it takes all night, you're gonna be nice" Oooh, I don't know if that's a promise or a threat, but coming from Rick, either works for me <wink>. I like the way Rick sings "Jessica" throughout this song also -- all snappy and fast-like it's one syllable. Sort of like Jim Carrey's Mask sayin' "smokin!". By the end of this song however, I think Rick sort of ran out of things to say. He repeats the name just a tad too many times, and I'm wanting the song to be over with already.

So here's the first half of the Million Dollar Face story. We get to know her name, and that Rick is a bit taken with her (to say the least). However, he's not letting her get away so fast (or so he thinks). "Stay with me Jessica" <--sounds like she's out the door already. - Michelle P.