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"Short Skirt/Long Jacket" is the name of a single by the alternative rock band Cake. It was the first single released from their album Comfort Eagle. The song is arguably one of Cake's most popular songs.
[edit] Lyrics
The lyrics describe a man with very specific demands when it comes to women. In the beginning, the demands are reasonable (I want a girl with a mind like a diamond/I want a girl who knows what's best). Near the end the demands start becoming rather odd and unreasonably specific (At Citibank we will meet accidentally/We'll start to talk when she borrows my pen...She's changing her name from Kitty to Karen/She's trading her MG for a white Chrysler LeBaron). The overall impression is that of a girl who has left the party lifestyle and joined corporate America.
[edit] Music Video
The music video for this song is comprised entirely of vox pop footage of members of the public, who are listening to the song on headphones. They are seen displaying a wide range of favorable and unfavorable reactions to the song, expressing their enthusiasm or criticism. Some are seen happily dancing to the song, while another man is seen giving the headphones back partway through and refusing to listen to the rest stating "I've heard this all back in the 40s." Examples of the comments include: a psychologist stating; "As a psychologist, I think this has therapeutic value," a person claiming; "I don't like the na-na-na part," and finally, one person mentioning; "I don't like all that thumping."
[edit] Track listing
- "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" - 3:24
- "Arco Arena" (Vocal Version) - 2:10
- "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" (Video)
[edit] Trivia
- The song "Close but no Cigar" on "Weird Al" Yankovic's album Straight Outta Lynwood (2006) is a parody of Cake's musical style. Although not a parody of any one song in particular, it seems to be inspired by "Short Skirt/Long Jacket". "Close but no Cigar" is about a man who is very demanding when it comes to women, evidenced by him dumping his date for silly reasons. The song copies some key musical elements such as a funky bassline, trumpets and cowbells, vibraslap, and the background "choir". Moreover, the trumpet line is nearly identical to "Love You Madly."
- "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" was used in the film Waitress starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion.
- An instrumental version of the song was also used as the theme song for the NBC series Chuck.
- A portion of the guitar riff is structurally identical to Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane".
[edit] Chart positions
| Year |
Single |
Chart |
Position |
| 2001 |
Short Skirt/Long Jacket |
Modern Rock Tracks (US) |
No. 7 |
