Short Skirt/Long Jacket

Its pretty obvious that this guy wants a girl that has a sense of opposition or a contrast in her styles. However whenever I listen to this I seem to think of more. For some reason I would picture the main character as Uncle Sam describing his perfect Aunt Samantha. I picture this cause he talks about banks as well as bright and flashyness, boldness (similar to the American culture). He talks about seeing her at the bank (American currency largely revolves around the bank) as well as a short skirt covered by a long jacket. I could see this jacket ans skirt a dark blue or red covered in stars. I don't know why this image always comes to me, but even the beat of the song makes me think of it.

Andy from San Jose, if you actually read what the guys from Cake said about the song, it has nothing to do with a "criminal jacket," and that is a ridiculously far-out stretch in interpretation. It's a girl wearing a short skirt who is also wearing a long jacket, not that uncommon in the fashion world. Like the guy from Cake, who actually sings the song and knows what it's about, said, it's like she was trying to find a balance between the two extremes. It's a great song and it has absolutely nothing to do with anything criminal. Don't let your desire to be a wannabe philosopher overrule good sense, and don't let it overrule what the band actually says about their own song. People always think that they know some hidden meaning that the artist doesn't. The same thing happened to The Vapors with 'Turning Japanese.' It was about obsession, but countless people swore it was really about masturbation, even though the Vapors said outright that it's about obsession. If you want to believe this is about a girl with a "criminal jacket;" A) you're going totally against what Cake was trying to say and; B) it kinda says a lot about the women you date. Just enjoy the song the way they meant it, they're artists and we owe them that.

"I want a girl with a short skirt and a long jacket" That line is referring to a short skirt and a long criminal jacket not an actual jacket.

this song is about the ideal girl. you want her to be sexy and edgy(short skirt) but at the same time a responsible woman with a good head on her shoulders(long jacket). the girl/woman is still wild but on the verge of being ready to settle down. -baird, sierra madre

Quite a few once-good songs have been ruined by being used as jingles for beer (and other) commercials. This song, on the other hand, sounds like it actually BELONGS in a beer commercial, but isn't. I guess we really do live in a world without justice...