Glam metal band Warrant might have had multiple hits under their leather studded belts, but they paled in comparison to their 1990 smash “Cherry Pie,” which resulted in Warrant frontman Jani Lane having a tumultuous love-hate relationship with his band’s biggest hit.
From the song to its cheeky music video, “Cherry Pie” was the epitome of un-serious, overtly sexual rock and roll. The album, also called ‘Cherry Pie,’ hit double platinum, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. But despite the song’s success, Lane had trouble stomaching the idea that the world would forever know him as “the cherry pie guy.”
Jani Lane Held No Punches In An Infamous VH1 Interview
Tremendous personal struggles pockmarked Jani Lane’s musical career, from the substance abuse that would ultimately end his life to his unsuccessful solo career after leaving the band for six months in 1993. Lane also wrestled with his musical legacy, notably the fact that many listeners only knew Warrant for their 1990 title track “Cherry Pie.”
In a now-infamous VH1 interview from 2006, Lane described writing the track for his record label, which said the band’s upcoming record had no hit single material. “[Columbia Records’] Donny Ienner called up and said, ‘I don’t hear a single. You got to give me a single like “Love in an Elevator.” I need something like that.” So, Lane quickly wrote “Cherry Pie” and sent it to Ienner for his review.
“All of a sudden, the album’s called ‘Cherry Pie,’ the record’s called ‘Cherry Pie,’ I’m doing cherry pie eating contests, the single’s “Cherry Pie,” right? If I’m lying, I’m dying,” Lane continued. “My legacy’s cherry pie. Everything about me is cherry pie. I’m the cherry pie guy. I could shoot myself in the head for writing that song.”
The Warrant Frontman Walked Back His Remarks About His Hit Song
Considering the tremendous success “Cherry Pie” earned Warrant and his blasé delivery of such a violent remark, Jani Lane’s comments to Vh1 about his hit record surprised many people. Nevertheless, his comments in the late 2000s echoed his sentiments in a 1992 interview with BAM Magazine. Still riding on the recent success of the single, Lane called the song “a blessing and a curse.”
“I had fun writing it, all 20 minutes. And I had fun singing it. Unfortunately, the song rubbed some people the wrong way. And, of course, the whole title got out of control. It became the album title and the first video, cherry pie this, cherry pie that. I had fun recording the tune, but it’s probably the last of its type in our repertoire” (via SongFacts).
Lane softened his feelings toward the song two years after his Vh1 interview. In a 2008 conversation with Rock Music Menu, Lane tried to explain his previous comments, saying, “People are like, ‘You hated that song,’” he said. “No, I didn’t hate the song. It’s just that when I was young and full of angst, and I wanted everyone to listen to my serious songs, I was like, ‘How dare you define me by that kitschy, tongue-in-cheek sexual innuendo.’ Now, in hindsight, I’m really pleased that I wrote something that seems to be standing the test of time—at least to this point” (via Delco Times). Sadly, Lane died three years later from alcohol poisoning.
Photo by Atashian/Mediapunch/Shutterstock
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