Roxy Music – Virginia Plain – 1972

About The Song

Short Description: “Virginia Plain” is a glam rock song by Roxy Music, released in 1972 as their debut single. The song’s eclectic and avant-garde style, coupled with Bryan Ferry’s distinctive vocals, contributed to its success and established Roxy Music as innovators in the glam rock and art rock genres.

Five Facts:

Debut Single: “Virginia Plain” was Roxy Music’s debut single, released on August 4, 1972. The song marked the band’s entry into the music scene with a bold and experimental sound that set them apart from their contemporaries.
Avant-Garde Influence: The song is known for its avant-garde and eclectic musical style. Brian Eno, a key member of Roxy Music at the time, brought his experimental and synthesizer-driven approach to the production, contributing to the song’s unique sound.
Artwork: The single’s cover art, designed by Bryan Ferry, features a painting of a cigarette packet with the band’s name and the song title. This iconic artwork became synonymous with the song and Roxy Music’s early image.
Lyrical Ambiguity: “Virginia Plain” features Bryan Ferry’s enigmatic and abstract lyrics, contributing to the song’s artistic and unconventional nature. The lyrics contain a mix of cultural references and playful wordplay, allowing for multiple interpretations.
Chart Success: The single achieved commercial success, reaching number four on the UK Singles Chart. Its popularity helped establish Roxy Music as a prominent force in the glam rock movement and paved the way for their subsequent albums and musical evolution.

Video

Lyrics

Make me a deal and make it straight
All signed and sealed, I’ll take it
To Robert E. Lee, I’ll show it
I hope and pray he don’t blow it ’cause

We’ve been around a long time
Just tryin’ to, tryin’ to but you
Make the big time

Take me on a roller coaster
Take me for an airplane ride
Take me for a six days wonder, but
Don’t you, don’t you throw my pride aside besides

What’s real and make-believe
Baby Jane’s in Acapulco
We are flyin’ down to Rio

Throw me a line, I’m sinking fast
Clutching at straws, can’t make it
Havana sound, we’re trying
A hard edge, the hipster jiving, oh
Last picture shows down the drive-in

You’re so sheer, you’re so chic
Teenage rebel of the week

Flavors of the mountain streamline
Midnight blue casino floors
Dance the cha-cha through ’til sunrise
Opens up exclusive doors, oh wow

Just like flamingos, look the same
So me and you, just we two
Got to search for something new

Far beyond the pale horizon
Some place near the desert strand
Where my Studebaker takes me
That’s where I’ll make my stand, but wait

Can’t you see that Holzer mane
What’s her name? Virginia Plain