"Mary Jane's Last Dance" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
When I first heard this song, the idea of "Mary Jane" was completely beyond me. I was a bit behind the times and didn't even know this was slang for pot. Hell, I didn't even know pot was slang for Marijuana. Let alone that such a plant was considered a "drug." I was naive, but glad that I didn't let this reference control what came to mind when I learned the lyrics. So, I interpreted it to be about a tired girl who was fascinating to everyone, but herself. I called her "Mary Jane."
All throughout most of my adolescence I used this name as my alias on most of my short stories published in the school paper, the first of which was entitled, "Last Dance with Mary Jane." I wrote in the first person, envisioning how it would feel like to be admired; to walk into a room knowing that the world stopped because I was in it. It was invigorating and obviously vain, but I felt safe writing it because no one knew it was me. No one except for my editor and she kept this sacred because she knew how important it was for a writer to write freely.
I know that I often wrote when I was sad and this tale evolved around this emotion greatly. I wrote about how beautiful and inspiring Mary Jane was to people and how she loved to dance, but only by herself because she didn't want to get too close to anyone. She feared they might see her the way she saw herself and that the glamour would suddenly vanish when they discovered that she was just plain and ordinary.
I wrote about how she would jump barefoot over rain puddles and let the grass tickle her feet in-between her wet toes. I wrote about her long strands of hair and how it would often hide certain sides of her face from view.
I wrote about her bright smile and dark eyes, her contagious laugh and appealingly soft, pale skin. I wrote about how she loved to wear summer dresses even on a chilly day. But then I also wrote about how she never felt "beautiful" and how her negative perception often threatened the fact that she was seen in such a positive light. And sadly, I finally ended this with Mary Jane taking her own life.
The full story has been lost for years now, but I'm sure if I did some good digging I might find it stashed away somewhere (although I'm afraid of what else I'll find). But it goes to show that although my actions are seen as logical in real life, my words mostly move to the beat of my own heart. So if you truly want to understand me, don't look at what I do in front of everyone who can see me. Read what I wish I could do when no one's looking.
Lyrics:
She grew up in an Indiana town
Had a good-lookin' mama who never was around
But she grew up tall and she grew up right
With them Indiana boys on them Indiana nights
Well, she moved down here at the age of eighteen
She blew the boys away, was more than they'd seen
I was introduced and we both started groovin'
She said, "I dig you baby, but I got to keep movin' on
Keep movin' on"
Last dance with Mary Jane, one more time to kill the pain
I feel summer creepin' in and I'm tired of this town again
Well, I don't know, but I've been told
You never slow down, you never grow old
I'm tired of screwin' up, tired of going down
Tired of myself, tired of this town
Oh, my my, oh, hell yes
Honey, put on that party dress
Buy me a drink, sing me a song
Take me as I come cuz I can't stay long
Last dance with Mary Jane, one more time to kill the pain
I feel summer creepin' in and I'm tired of this town again
There's pigeons down on Market Square
She's standin' in her underwear
Lookin' down from a hotel room
Nightfall will be comin' soon
Oh, my my, oh, hell yes.
You got to put on that party dress
It was too cold to cry when I woke up alone
I hit my last number and walked to the road
Last dance with Mary Jane, one more time to kill the pain
I feel summer creepin' in and I'm tired of this town again
http://www.allstarpics.net/pictures/0091531/tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers-pics.html
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tompettyandtheheartbreakers/maryjaneslastdance.html
http://www.photocase.com/photo/135833-stock-photo-human-being-water-grass-stone-feet-rain
When I first heard this song, the idea of "Mary Jane" was completely beyond me. I was a bit behind the times and didn't even know this was slang for pot. Hell, I didn't even know pot was slang for Marijuana. Let alone that such a plant was considered a "drug." I was naive, but glad that I didn't let this reference control what came to mind when I learned the lyrics. So, I interpreted it to be about a tired girl who was fascinating to everyone, but herself. I called her "Mary Jane."
All throughout most of my adolescence I used this name as my alias on most of my short stories published in the school paper, the first of which was entitled, "Last Dance with Mary Jane." I wrote in the first person, envisioning how it would feel like to be admired; to walk into a room knowing that the world stopped because I was in it. It was invigorating and obviously vain, but I felt safe writing it because no one knew it was me. No one except for my editor and she kept this sacred because she knew how important it was for a writer to write freely.
I know that I often wrote when I was sad and this tale evolved around this emotion greatly. I wrote about how beautiful and inspiring Mary Jane was to people and how she loved to dance, but only by herself because she didn't want to get too close to anyone. She feared they might see her the way she saw herself and that the glamour would suddenly vanish when they discovered that she was just plain and ordinary.
I wrote about how she would jump barefoot over rain puddles and let the grass tickle her feet in-between her wet toes. I wrote about her long strands of hair and how it would often hide certain sides of her face from view.
I wrote about her bright smile and dark eyes, her contagious laugh and appealingly soft, pale skin. I wrote about how she loved to wear summer dresses even on a chilly day. But then I also wrote about how she never felt "beautiful" and how her negative perception often threatened the fact that she was seen in such a positive light. And sadly, I finally ended this with Mary Jane taking her own life.The full story has been lost for years now, but I'm sure if I did some good digging I might find it stashed away somewhere (although I'm afraid of what else I'll find). But it goes to show that although my actions are seen as logical in real life, my words mostly move to the beat of my own heart. So if you truly want to understand me, don't look at what I do in front of everyone who can see me. Read what I wish I could do when no one's looking.
Lyrics:
She grew up in an Indiana town
Had a good-lookin' mama who never was around
But she grew up tall and she grew up right
With them Indiana boys on them Indiana nights
Well, she moved down here at the age of eighteen
She blew the boys away, was more than they'd seen
I was introduced and we both started groovin'
She said, "I dig you baby, but I got to keep movin' on
Keep movin' on"
Last dance with Mary Jane, one more time to kill the pain
I feel summer creepin' in and I'm tired of this town again
Well, I don't know, but I've been told
You never slow down, you never grow old
I'm tired of screwin' up, tired of going down
Tired of myself, tired of this town
Oh, my my, oh, hell yes
Honey, put on that party dress
Buy me a drink, sing me a song
Take me as I come cuz I can't stay long
Last dance with Mary Jane, one more time to kill the pain
I feel summer creepin' in and I'm tired of this town again
There's pigeons down on Market Square
She's standin' in her underwear
Lookin' down from a hotel room
Nightfall will be comin' soon
Oh, my my, oh, hell yes.
You got to put on that party dress
It was too cold to cry when I woke up alone
I hit my last number and walked to the road
Last dance with Mary Jane, one more time to kill the pain
I feel summer creepin' in and I'm tired of this town again
http://www.allstarpics.net/pictures/0091531/tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers-pics.html
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tompettyandtheheartbreakers/maryjaneslastdance.html
http://www.photocase.com/photo/135833-stock-photo-human-being-water-grass-stone-feet-rain
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