Meet Virginia

"Meet Virginia" is the debut single by American roots rock band Train, released in 1998 from their self-titled debut album. Originally serviced to adult album alternative radio in March 1998, 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 the band'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 Top Singles chart.

"Meet Virginia"
Single by Train
from the album Train
ReleasedMarch 1998 (1998-03)[1]
GenreAlternative rock[2]
Length
  • 4:00 (album version)
  • 3:44 (pop version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Train
Producer(s)
  • Train
  • Curtis Mathewson
Train singles chronology
"Meet Virginia"
(1998)		 "Free"
(1998)
Audio sample
"Meet Virginia"
  • file
  • help

Background

When asked whether the girl in the song was real or imaginary, Train's Twitter page said, "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. One day , Train was playing pickup softball with some members of Counting Crows, another Bay area band . Charlie's girlfriend came over from a wedding shower still wearing a long dress and high heels, and proceeded to play shortstop for Train's team. 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

"Meet Virginia" has a music video that 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

Australian maxi-CD single[8]

  1. "Meet Virginia" (pop version) – 3:44
  2. "Meet Virginia" (album version) – 4:00
  3. "If You Leave" (live) – 3:26
  4. "I Am" (live) – 4:35
  5. "Train" (live) – 5:50

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the US promo CD liner notes.[9]

Studio

Charts

Release history
Release dates and formats for "Meet Virginia"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States March 1998 Adult album alternative radio
[1]
July 26, 1999
[21][22]
July 27, 1999 Contemporary hit radio [21][23]

References
  1. "Adult Alternative Aware of Train's Single 'Free'". Radio & Records. No. 1266. September 18, 1998. p. 34. When it comes to radio, Latterman initially started working Train and the first single, 'Meet Virginia,' at Adult Alternative in March.
  2. "The 69 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1999". Spin. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  3. Train [@Train] (April 10, 2017). "She's real parts of real woman that make up a woman that I've always wanted to meet" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. Harris, Kristin (April 30, 2015). "Train's Pat Monahan Explains Some Of Their Most Iconic Lyrics". BuzzFeed. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  5. Blanford, Roxanne. Train – Review. AllMusic.
  6. Billboard, April 7, 2001 – Vol. 113, No. 14, Page 18.
  7. Rob Hotchkiss in Train: "Meet Virginia" music video. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 – via YouTube.
  8. Meet Virginia (Australian maxi-CD single liner notes). Train. Columbia Records. 1999. 667429 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. Meet Virginia (US promo CD liner notes). Train. Columbia Records. 1999. CSK 42576.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 283.
  11. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 10026." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  12. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9693." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  13. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 8376." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  14. "Train Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  15. "Train Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  16. "Train Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  17. "Train Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  18. "Train Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  19. "Train Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  20. "Billboard Top 100 – 2000". Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  21. "Impact Dates". Gavin Report. No. 2265. July 26, 1999. pp. 12, 29.
  22. "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1309. July 23, 1999. pp. 79, 84.
  23. "CHR/Pop: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1309. July 23, 1999. p. 92.
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