Meet Virginia
single
CoverTrainmeetvirginia.jpg
ArtistTrain
AlbumTrain
ReleasedMarch 1998[1]
GenreAlternative rock[2]
Length
  • 4:00 (album version)
  • 3:44 (pop version)
Label
WriterTrain
Producer
  • Train
  • Curtis Mathewson
Next year1998

"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.

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

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

Train

  • Train – writing, production
  • Patrick Monahan – vocals, percussion
  • Rob Hotchkiss – guitars, harmonica, vocals
  • Jimmy Stafford – guitars, mandolin, vocals
  • Charlie Colin – bass
  • Scott Underwood – drums, percussion

Other musicians

Additional personnel

  • Curtis Mathewson – production
  • Mike McHugh – engineering
  • Charles Quagliana – engineering
  • Matt Wallace – remixing
  • Alan Yoshida – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Meet Virginia"
Chart (1999–2000)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[10]91

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Meet Virginia"
Chart (1999)Position
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[11]56
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[12]70
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[13]79
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[14]95
Chart (2000)Position
US Billboard Hot 100[15]70
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[16]7
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[17]55

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Meet Virginia"
RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref(s).
United StatesMarch 1998Adult album alternative radioColumbia · Aware · Red Ink[1]
July 26, 1999Adult contemporary · hot adult contemporary · modern adult contemporary radio[18][19]
July 27, 1999Contemporary hit radio[18][20]

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. "She's real parts of real woman that make up a woman that I've always wanted to meet". No. 851486730406330369.
  4. ^ Harris, Kristin (April 30, 2015). "Train's Pat Monahan Explains Some Of Their Most Iconic Lyrics". BuzzFeed. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
  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 December 11, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. – via YouTube
  8. ^ Meet Virginia (Australian maxi-CD single liner notes). Columbia Records. 1999. 667429 2.
  9. ^ Meet Virginia (US promo CD liner notes). Columbia Records. 1999. CSK 42576.
  10. ^ p. 283.
  11. ^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 47.
  12. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Rock Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 35.
  13. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 54.
  14. ^ "Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 36.
  15. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 2000". Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  16. ^ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-99.
  17. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 54.
  18. ^ "Impact Dates". Gavin Report. No. 2265. 26 July 1999. pp. 12, 29.
  19. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1309. July 23, 1999. pp. 79, 84.
  20. ^ "CHR/Pop: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1309. July 23, 1999. p. 92.