Mary Jane's Last Dance

I woke up Saturday morning thinking I'd never seen Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert and that I'm going to make that a priority for the future. I then starting singing Mary Jane's Last Dance in my head all day, and that always tells me, "there's a blog in there somewhere."

People have different theories on what the song is about. Many think the song is about weed or drugs, but I think it's about Tom's experience with Microsoft Windows (just kidding). The band's official video of the song kind of turns the whole thing upside down with a creepy Weekend at Bernie's theme going on. I think that video is just Tom and the boys having a little fun with us all. The song, as band member Mike Campbell says, "could also just be a goodbye love song." Well, that's always been my interpretation as I tend to lean heavily towards 'love lost' songs. But, I'll save that talk and Don Henley's Boys of Summer (also co-written by Mike Campell), for another day.

I love the beat and guitar riffs in Mary Jane's Last Dance, by one of the best bands, the Heartbreakers, but the lyrics and chorus harmony just knock me out.

Mary Jane's Last Dance

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 'cause 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

And now, a live concert video of the band performing, Mary Jane's Last Dance, one of my all-time favorite songs along with a longing to see these guys live myself, singing this song.