Rick Springfield Once Performed a Meme Mash-Up of Two Iconic 80s Songs With a 2000s Hit

In 2016, a theory circulated, becoming a viral meme. The theory is that the unnamed girl in “Jessie’s Girl” is the same girl named Jenny featured in Tommy Tutone’s hit “867-5309/Jenny”.

In 2003, Fountains of Wayne penned their massive hit “Stacy’s Mom” about a teenager obsessing over his friend’s mom. He ignores his friend Stacy and instead develops a crush on her mom. Within the theory, Stacy’s mom would’ve been roughly the same age as the woman discussed in both “Jessie’s Girl” and “867-5309/Jenny” from 1981.

Though there’s really no substantial evidence to back this theory, it’s circulated enough to catch the attention of Rick Springfield himself. The theory dates back to 2015, when a Reddit user posted in the group r/FanTheories titled “Stacy’s Mom is Jessie’s Girl and her number is 867-5309.”

The original post explains, “‘Jessie’s Girl, released in February of 1981, is about a guy who is in love with his best friend’s girlfriend and wants to be with her. Jenny, released in September 1981, is about a woman’s phone number written on a bathroom wall and, again, a man who wants to be with her. And finally, Stacy’s Mom, released in September 2003, is about a kid who is lusting after a girl’s mom.”

The Reddit post connects the dots even further than just song meanings. “So, it started that Jessie had a girlfriend. Rick wanted to be with her, so he won her over. So p*ssed off, Jessie wrote her name and number on the bathroom wall, stating, ‘For a good time, call 867-5309’.”

The theory turns into a meme and mash-up

As far-fetched as this seems, it ties in well with the early 2000s. “They settle down and get married, having a daughter named Stacy. How do we know that Rick Springfield got the girl? In the music video for ‘Stacy‘s Mom’, Stacy gets into the car with her mom, and the license plate says ‘I <3 Rick’.” Honestly, that’s a pretty crazy coincidence anyway.

Numerous times, others have posted the same theory, either echoing the original or coincidentally drawing the same conclusion. As many connected these songs, Rick Springfield capitalized on the moment.

On December 14, 2016, Springfield performed a mashup of all three songs. This moment went viral, and Springfield has repeatedly performed the mashup throughout the years. Occasionally, Springfield intertwines The Knack’s “My Sharona”, adding his own layer to the theory, though it doesn’t entirely fit.

Photo by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Palms Casino Resort

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