The Diary of Jane

About this song

The name of the title character was inspired by Jane Bryan, a notable actor from the 1930s, who appears in the official music video. Breaking Benjamin's previous album shared its title with a Jane Bryan film, We Are Not Alone. The song is one of the band's most successful tracks, spending 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching #2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

What it's about

The song seems to describe a love-starved person on the brink of a mental breakdown. Lead singer Benjamin Burnley's vocals alternate between singing and screaming to convey the narrator's desperation, over heavy guitar riffs and effects.

Fun facts

• Sampled in 4 other songs, like “Ashes (In A Place Like This) by Cacola”.
• Covered 10 times, including “Diary of Jane by GatoPaint”.
• Written by Benjamin Burnley, Aaron Fink and Mark James Klepaski.
• Produced by David Bendeth.
• Recorded at The Barbershop Studios.