100 Songs of Summer #40 "Sweet Jane" by Cowboy Junkies

The Hamptons has been even more of a visual arts Mecca than usual with all the gallery openings and art fairs this summer. The last of these international events opened yesterday and we’ve been hearing an awful lot about Andy Warhol, among the massive collection of artists represented there. So, in honor of art’s king of “Pop,” the Top 100 Songs of Summer Countdown presents a song that was first recorded by Mr. Warhol’s pal and East End resident Lou Reed and his band The Velvet Underground in 1970.

Hamptons 100 Songs of Summer #40

“Sweet Jane” by Cowboy Junkies

Reed and The Velvet Underground were so connected with Warhol and his Factory scene, the band even named an album after him in 1967. They recorded “Sweet Jane” three years later, but despite The Velvet Underground’s iconic status and amazing talent, many would argue that Cowboy Junkies cover is the quintessential version of the song. This Canadian alternative/blues/country band released “Sweet Jane” on their second album The Trinity Session in 1988, but it didn’t become internationally recognized until it was featured on the soundtrack of Oliver Stone’s experimental-yet-mainstream 1994 film Natural Born Killers, which was penned by Quentin Tarantino.

Like a lullaby for grown ups, the song’s atmospheric sound, coupled with Margo Timmins’ sensual vocals, is best suited for those languid, lazy days of summer—lounging around the house, rolling in crisp white sheets and sunshine with a lover, or finding some peace on a deserted beach.