Jessie's Girl

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"Jessie's Girl" is a pop song written and performed by pop singer Rick Springfield. It was released on the album Working Class Dog.

Soon after its release in 1981, the song became an instant hit, and later won Springfield a Grammy award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. The song is about unrequited love, and is centered around a man in love with his best friend's girlfriend (see below for story behind the song). While some try to highlight deeper symbolic meanings of the piece, most enjoy it for its catchy tune and memorable lyrics.

[edit] Story behind the song

Springfield wanted to use the name of the friend he was actually singing about (Gary), but instead decided to go with a different name. He happened to see a girl in a softball jersey with the name "Jessie" on it, and he changed the name from Gary to Jessie, and recorded the song.

This song was featured in the 1997 film Boogie Nights. It was also featured in the 2004 film 13 Going on 30.

In 2004, it was remade by the band Frickin' A, on their debut album Big Egos...No Ideas. In a twist, Rick Springfield made a special appearance in their music video. Everclear have also paid tribute to the longevity of the song's popularity by recording a live cover version of the song. Jessie's Girl remains a staple of "retro" FM radio stations and has gained further popularity on the back of the recent "eighties revival" trend.

Preceded by "The One That You Love" by Air Supply	Billboard Hot 100 number one single August 1, 1981	Succeeded by "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie