Just a Girl

Infobox Single
Name = Just a Girl


Artist = No Doubt
from Album = Tragic Kingdom
B-side =
Released = 1995 (North America)
Format = CD
Recorded =
Genre = Post-grunge
Length = 3:26
Label = Interscope
Writer = Gwen Stefani, Tom Dumont
Producer = Matthew Wilder
Certification = Platinum (RIANZ)
Last single = "Doghouse"
(1994)
This single = "Just a Girl"
(1995)
Next single = "Spiderwebs"
(1996)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate covers
Lower caption = European single cover
Type = Single

Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =
Lower caption = UK single cover
Type = Single

Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =
Lower caption = German single cover
Type = Single

Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =
Lower caption = UK re-release
Type = Single

"Just a Girl" is a song written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont for No Doubt's third album "Tragic Kingdom". The song was released in 1995 as the album's lead single and helped the band break into mainstream music.

"Just a Girl" was first aired on Californian radio show Ska Parade. [Layne, Anni. [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/nodoubt/articles/story/5920606/the_ska_parade_is_coming_to_town "The Ska Parade Is Coming To Town"] . "Rolling Stone". May 9, 1998. Retrieved April 27, 2007.] The song helped No Doubt's career immensely, peaking at #23 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart and #10 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. [ [http://billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=19895&model.vnuAlbumId=508221 "No Doubt"] . "Billboard". Retrieved January 8, 2007.] The song also gave the group another hit on the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at number three. It was also featured in the movie "Clueless" and the opening credits of "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion". Professional wrestler Mickie James used the song as her theme when she wrestled as Alexis Laree in Ohio Valley Wrestling.

Music and lyrics

"Just a Girl" is written in the key of D major and common time at a moderate 110 beats per minute."Just a Girl" sheet music. Hal Leonard Corporation. 1995.] The opening riff that Dumont uses was taken from an earlier effort by keyboardist Eric Stefani."Just a Girl". Montoya, Paris and Lanham, Tom. 2003. "The Singles 1992-2003" (liner notes).] The song is heavily influenced by New Wave music, using synth noise from a Roland Jupiter-8, '80s keyboards and effects, and retro sounds.

Gwen Stefani came up with the title. The song itself discusses the paradox of post-feminism. The lyrics reference the domestic violence "rule of thumb". Her vocal range in "Just a Girl" spans nearly an octave and a half, from B₄ to E₆.

Music video

The music video was directed by Mark Kohr. It opens with Stefani sitting in front of a beat-up car while the rest of the band loads the car. They then drive off and arrive at a building where she enters the women's bathroom and the rest of the band enters the men's. The band sets up its equipment in the grey, dingy bathroom while Stefani sings in the decorated and brightly colored bathroom. Eventually, the band takes to lifting people through the ceiling to get into the women's bathroom, and the video ends with Tom Dumont and Tony Kanal standing directly in front of the wall that had been separating the bathrooms.

Charts

Track listings

;American CD maxi single
# "Just a Girl" – 3:32
# "Different People" – 4:38
# "Open the Gate" – 3:38

;American CD single
# "Just a Girl" – 3:31
# "Different People" – 4:38
# "Just a Girl" (video)

;British cassette single
# "Just a Girl" (radio mix) – 3:29
# "Just a Girl" (live) – 5:37
# "Hey You" (live from Den Haag, Holland) – 3:21
# "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" (live from Den Haag, Holland) – 3:36

;European CD single
# "Just a Girl" – 3:32
# "Just a Girl" (live from London, UK) – 5:39
# "Don't Speak" (live from Hamburg, Germany) – 5:28
# "Hey You" (live from Den Haag, Holland) – 3:20

;German CD single
# "Just a Girl" – 3:29
# "Different People" – 4:34
# "Open the Gate" – 3:38

;French CD single
# Just a Girl - 3:29
# "Don't Speak" (live from Hamburg, Germany) - 5:26

;UK rerelease part 1
# "Just a Girl" (radio mix) – 3:29
# "Open the Gate" – 3:38
# "Just a Girl" (live from London, UK) – 5:39
# "End It on This" (live from Den Haag, Holland) – 4:03

;UK rerelease part 2
# "Just a Girl" (radio mix) – 3:29
# "Different People" – 4:38
# "Hey You" (live from Den Haag, Holland) – 3:21
# "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" (live from Den Haag, Holland) – 3:36

References

External links

* [http://www.nodoubt.com/ No Doubt's official site]
** [http://www.nodoubt.com/lyrics/JustAGrl.asp "Just a Girl" lyrics and guitar tabulature]