Mellencamp, John - Jenny At 16 Lyrics






Growin' up, in a small community
Everybody know everything 'bout you and me
And make a pool of friends
Its all your ever goin' to get to see
Our whole town talkin' 'bout Jenny

Ooh Jenny at 16
Take those rags from your face and come along with me
They can keep the money and their company
Runnin' in the Johnson grass with Jenny

Suckin' on a cigarette outside the Tastee Freeze
Sitting on a young man's lap
Got his hand between her knees
Takin' off her Bobby Brooks behind a shady tree
Cussin' like a sailor you know that that's Jenny

Ooh Jenny at 16
Take those rags from your face and come along with me
They can keep the money and their company
Hidin' in the Johnson grass with Jenny





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Mellencamp, John Jenny At 16 Comments
  1. R.... ....

    At first I thought it was "Jackie and Diane" and that the song was like about two gay chicks...But naw, naw that wasn't it, it was JACK and diane. I even typed in Jackie and diane and this song still popped up, lol af!

  2. t.... ....

    Uncle Dane good sentry man

  3. T.... Z....

    Love it.. 🌹💖

  4. M.... E....

    Was listening to some Mick Ronson and came across this quite from Mellencamp "I owe Mick Ronson the hit song 'Jack & Diane'. Mick was very instrumental in helping me arrange that song, as I'd thrown it on the junk heap. Ronson came down and played on three or four tracks and worked on the American Fool record for four or five weeks. All of a sudden, for 'Jack & Diane', Mick said 'Johnny, you should put baby rattles on there.' I thought, 'What the fuck does put baby rattles on the record mean? So he put the percussion on there and then he sang the part 'let it rock, let it roll' as a choir-ish-type thing, which had never occurred to me. And that is the part everybody remembers on the song. It was Ronson's idea." (John Mellencamp,

  5. L.... ....

    Nice Video.!

  6. J.... L....

    This song....this song really get to me. "Hang on to 16 as long as you can".....
    I left school when I was 15, and that was the end of my youth...now Im just an old asshole....

  7. Y.... E....

    Weird AI made it better

  8. M.... ....

    No wonder I was so sad when I turned 17, I was leaving 16 behind.

  9. I.... F....

    Little Diddy

  10. N.... ....

    I hate this song... lyrics sound so dumb

  11. L.... V....

    Well so good wish I was there 2

  12. S.... D....

    Mellencamp is sooooo good

  13. d.... ....

    why hasn't this song been turned into a movie yet - monster 2020 faith

  14. D.... J....

    I love the 16 yo. Withe boys so pretty and sexys

  15. s.... a....

    This song hit the core of many growing up in this God forsaken country and the difference between the lies we were fed and the reality of living in america.

  16. T.... L....

    Nostalgia

  17. T.... 9....

    This aint the same summer song that I used to know... cause Jack left Diane 30 years ago

  18. R.... H....

    How true!!

  19. J.... H....

    As a kid who else would hear the intro to the song on the radio and get hyped, only to be disappointed when it wasn't I think I'm in love with you by Jessica simpson

  20. J.... l....

    Oh yeah!!! a like song!!!

  21. K.... N....

    Saw Mellencamp tour with Rosanne Cash a few years back- GREAT concert, I was quite pleasantly surprised!

  22. A.... O....

    Still love this song in 2019. Am I the only one?

    A.... O....

    I'm still loving it in 2020. And still trying to keep and cherish the thrill of living, when entering my sixth decade...

    A.... O....

    @Hurri Khan 👍

    A.... O....

    No, i love too this song.

  23. A.... l....

    Yes Life goes on :D

  24. L.... B....

    The MTV days!

  25. C.... J....

    Big fan until you started promoting race mixing. Turns out I dont approve of White ethnic cleansing.

  26. e.... j....

    20 years ago this night my wife and i had our first date...to the melencamp concert at what was then Conseco fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Rang in the new year of 2000 to this song and tonight it will be playing again just after the stroke of midnight welcoming in 2020

  27. l.... D....

    I remember back in 2002 ,I suffered a bad hang over trying to be grown at the tender age of 16 on my spring break! I mean mannnn, I was throwing up every where in my aunt house , I was depressed because I was missing a grown ass man ( who was four years my senior...20) who could careless about me! I didn't sober up until the next following day in the evening and I was left at home alone. I decided to clean my aunts house for her and I turned on the radio and heard this song for the first time in my life! At the time I didn't realize this song was speaking to me about enjoy my youth while I can! Coincidently, I was 16 years old at the time😢....This song holds a special place in my heart💙💖

  28. W.... D....

    Seen him in concert once long time ago, he was great !!!!

  29. H.... A....

    Matt Damon , congratulations....

  30. S.... G....

    The nostalgia! It makes me want to cry 😭

  31. r.... r....

    Are there any folks here besides me still listening to this great song since 1982?

  32. V.... S....

    Scratches his head and does his fast David Bowie.

  33. w.... k....

    Sweet lyrical song. First heard on a road trip to Adelaide.❤️❤️❤️

  34. R.... M....

    Recordar é viver - Pôrto Alegre RS Brasil - 25/12/2019

  35. n.... 1....

    They say life goes on. Long after the grilled cheese sandwich is gone.

  36. J.... C....

    Feels like I'm on Facebook again...even though I'm NOT, playing the songs I used to upload there lol...memories !!

  37. M.... B....

    Suckin on a chilidog outside the tastee freeze....


    If he only knew about the tastee freeze down the road from me.

  38. c.... r....

    cheessyy
    jjeesy cattle fattner subsidized farmer a natural born killer, sugar
    sugarsugar any belief will do routine sea to shining pollutyed sea
    dillee dallee let it rock and tilt to roll Marshall's Mars plan b
    damned, civil come again but wont b u holy Nat Socialism NASA Nazzii doin the best they can Bwaaaaa..-- 2:36

  39. D.... D....

    This song and Time by Pink Floyd are so poignantly beautiful in regards to the experience of growing old. A friend told me that when you get old all you'll have left will be your memories, so try to make as many as you can............I haven't made enough yet.

  40. R.... F....

    Memories😔🙂

  41. J.... S....

    My good old friend till this day bill and paul inspired him to make this good song Vincennes Indiana

  42. P.... P....

    Who’s still cranking this song in December 2019

  43. S.... D....

    Saw John in Tulsa last year, one of the best concerts i have ever seen

  44. J.... S....

    NEVER....GETS....OLD!💗💗💗

  45. K.... ....

    *They say love goes on longer than the grill or homer is large*

  46. G.... ....

    little diddy

  47. J.... G....

    Reminds me of my dear friend who just lost her struggle with cancer....love u Tracey

  48. T.... ....

    I’m drunk just saying

    T.... ....

    😂😂😂

  49. R.... C....

    He reminds me of Brad Pitt here for some reason

  50. S.... S....

    This song should be listed as Americana

  51. d.... ....

    I was 4 years old in 95 and my dad and I were just driving in the middle of the night (for no reason to my understanding anyways) and this song came on, that was the first memory I had of my dad. I just did the same drive listening to this song and hacking darts to this song. Now adays I'm a bassist playing in a progressive metal band, and despite the differences between my band and this song, and my dad and myself, I can all link it back to John Cougar because the music he created forever bonded me and my dad through common interests, and got me into music.

  52. s.... d....

    Im 38 years old & im still listening to john mellencamp

    s.... d....

    scrappy doo I’m 73 and still listening

  53. L.... ....

    Awesome Music Video and Awesome Amazing Song All Together TBH. Tbh. tbh........!!!!!!!

  54. b.... h....

    The years have passed to quickly but songs like this keep you young

  55. J.... L....

    I love his music John Cougar

    J.... L....

    my all-time favorite!💗

  56. B.... N....

    Every small town kids anthem, right here...

    Class of 2015. Time really flies... I'm saying this, now, at 23 years old...

  57. J.... G....

    Love this song.

  58. E.... W....

    Being in my late 50’s a black man from inner city saw the beginning of rap mother loved Motown. Said all that to say this. Good music is colorless. This is a great record

  59. T.... S....

    John keeps it real. gotta love his realism 🔥🤘🐯

  60. s.... ....

    Diane  doesn't look like  a typical small town girl

  61. l.... ....

    Brian brought me here 😎

  62. s.... s....

    Oooooh yeaaaaaah

  63. F.... ....

    This guy is like a southern bruce springsteen

  64. C.... P....

    I`ve always liked this era of MTV and fashion and all, probably cuz I went to High School from 81-85. Great memories.

  65. j.... ....

    19 year old girl from South Africa here. JCM is one of the greatest song writers of all time. His music makes me nostalgic for a time and place I have no reference for and so many of his lyrics are just as relevant today as when he wrote them in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Long live JCM.

    j.... ....

    You have a great taste in music

  66. h.... ....

    This was my uncles favorite song before he od'd
    I never met him either.

  67. R.... G....

    I haven't heard this song since I was in high school in the late 1980s.

    R.... G....

    where were you hiding? They've been playing this on classic rock radio continuously for going on 40 years... I'd be honored if some John Cougar Mellencamp fans would take a listen to my acoustic piano & vocal performances of JACK & DIANE and SOMEBODY'S BABY by Jackson Browne on my YT channel (tap on my photo go there) in tribute to the great musical summer of 1982. Live acoustic with no autotune or digital enhancements. Thanks and keep on rocking.

  68. J.... S....

    2019!!!💗💗💗

  69. E.... B....

    man was a cutie when he was a kid now hes just sexy

  70. S.... S....

    0:29 all I hear is little dick and it hurts my feelings

  71. g.... ....

    Did anyone mention "I Think I'm In Love by Jessica Simpson

  72. a.... ....

    Goddamn how was this song a hit. So fucking bad

  73. J.... 1....

    Years later Kenny Chesney ripped Mellencamp off in one of his videos, The punch scene at the end, Chesney does the same thing on Young.

  74. A.... E....

    suckin on chili doogsss

  75. D.... K....

    I shudve heard this before I was 16.

  76. D.... C....

    Also, America kids were not as lame and sloppy as this song. Some of our parents knew we were up against The Soviet Block.

  77. D.... C....

    So us getting older is bad!?? Dudes, he just married and he’s not looking so young. Whatevs

  78. L.... B....

    The whole club sang this, following a guy holding the lyric cards, on the fake balcony at Bobby McGhee’s Melbourne Monday night hospitality night circa early 2000s.

  79. N.... ....

    For some reason I have a fear of ancient computer graphics

  80. M.... S....

    0:29
    Little Diddy

  81. K.... H....

    I'm young as the chick by my side😆.

  82. c.... m....

    sorry, miss ya

  83. L.... C....

    Freshman year was 2 and a half years ago, and in English class we had to find a quote about life, and write a paragraph on it. I chose the best quote I can find, which happen to be from this song. "Oh yeah life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone" I got an A+ on the project.

  84. X.... ....

    my girlfriend cheated on me today :(,this song means so much to me ,I'm thinking about suicide life is so hard. Please I need to talk to someone @archeryeboi
    Snapchat

    X.... ....

    Hi which is your instagram?

    X.... ....

    My insta is xxarcher1108xx

    X.... ....

    I suggest listening to ANYTHING besides this. Cause honestly this song makes me wanna jump off a bridge.

    X.... ....

    @aazz0099503 why

  85. f.... ....

    Hold on to 16 as long as you can... I tried, I'm 47 now.

    f.... ....

    It's really cringe when an old woman tries to act young

  86. P.... B....

    I only can say that I love This song......

  87. R.... E....

    Saved from the scrap pile by Bowie Sideman Mick Ronson. Mick was very instrumental in helping me arrange that song, as I'd thrown it on the junk heap. Ronson came down and played on three or four tracks and worked on the American Fool record for four or five weeks. All of a sudden, for 'Jack & Diane,' Mick said, 'Johnny, you should put baby rattles on there.' I thought, 'What the fuck does put baby rattles on the record mean?' So he put the percussion on there and then he sang the part 'let it rock, let it roll' as a choir-ish-type thing, which had never occurred to me. And that is the part everybody remembers on the song. It was Ronson's idea.[4]

  88. D.... ....

    Thank you, Mick Ronson!

  89. L.... ....

    I was 16 when this song came out and now I've changed this song around and made myself a woman of 53, still loving John Cougar Mellencamp. Cheers!

  90. S.... L....

    Time sure does go by way too soon

  91. M.... M....

    A little ditty 'bout Jack & Diane
    Two American kids growing up in the heart land
    Jack he's gonna be a football star
    Diane debutante in the back seat of Jacky's car
    Suckin' on chilli dog outside the Tastee Freez
    Diane sitting on Jacky's lap
    Got his hands between her knees
    Jack he says:
    "Hey, Diane, let's run off behind a shady tree
    Dribble off those Bobby Brooks
    Let me do what I please"
    Saying oh yeah
    Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone
    Sayin' oh yeah
    Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone
    Now walk on
    Jack he sits back, collects his thoughts for a moment
    Scratches his head, and does his best James Dean
    Well, now then, there, Diane, we ought to run off to the city
    Diane says:
    "Baby, you ain't missing nothing"
    But Jack he says:
    "Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone"
    Oh yeah
    He says: "life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone"
    Oh, let it rock, let it roll
    Let the bible belt come and save my soul
    Holdin' on to sixteen as long as you can
    Change is coming 'round real soon
    Make us woman and man
    Oh yeah, life goes on
    A little ditty 'bout Jack and Diane
    Two American kids doin' the best they can


    Songwriters: John Mellencamp

  92. I.... D....

    A masterpiece👍🏼. John Mellencamp: A Legend🙏🏻

  93. M.... S....

    👎👎
    "Gonna let it rock, let it roll." Ok, when?

  94. G.... ....

    It all makes sense now... 37 years since i first loved this song. I wandered when will the time come. Still holding on to 16 (as long as i can), but it's getting harder and harder. It's a cruel world out there...