Meet Virginia
1998 single by Train
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"Meet Virginia" is a song by American pop rock band Train, released as the lead single from their 1998 self-titled first album. Serviced to adult album alternative radio in March 1998 as Train's debut single, the song took over a year to gain popularity on mainstream radio, eventually reaching number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 2000, becoming Train's first top-20 hit and their first single to appear on the Hot 100. It also reached the top 20 in Canada, peaking at number 15 on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart.
- 4:00 (album version)
- 3:44 (pop version)
| "Meet Virginia" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Train | ||||
| from the album Train | ||||
| Released | March 1998[1] | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock[2] | |||
| Length |
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| Label | ||||
| Songwriter | Train | |||
| Producers |
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| Train singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio sample | ||||
"Meet Virginia" | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Meet Virginia" on YouTube | ||||
Background
When asked whether the girl in the song was real or imaginary, Train posted on Twitter that "she's real parts of real woman [sic] that make up a woman that I've always wanted to meet".[3] Singer Patrick Monahan added that one of the women who inspired the song was bassist Charlie Colin's girlfriend, who came over from a wedding shower still wearing a long dress and high heels, and proceeded to play shortstop for Train's softball team in a game against members of the Counting Crows. This inspired the line, "Wears high heels when she exercises".[4]
Reception
Roxanne Blanford of AllMusic says "Meet Virginia" is one of a few songs from the album Train that has "inspired hooks and reflective lyrics".[5] Christa L. Titus, of Billboard magazine in her review of their second album, called the song an "ode to a wrong-side-of-the-tracks girl full of quirky contradictions."[6]
Music video
The "Meet Virginia" music video takes place inside a diner and stars actress Rebecca Gayheart.[7] The video was shot at the Merritt Bakery and Restaurant in Oakland, California. Located on the south-western shore of Lake Merritt at 203 East 18th Street, the restaurant closed after a fire in 2016.
Track listing
Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from the US promo CD liner notes.[9]
Studio
- Mastered at A&M Mastering Studios (Hollywood, California)
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Train
Other musicians
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Additional personnel
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | March 1998 | Adult album alternative radio | [1] | |
| July 26, 1999 | [27][28] | |||
| July 27, 1999 | Contemporary hit radio | [27][29] |