Mary Jane's Last Dance

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty

About Mary Jane's Last Dance

"Mary Jane's Last Dance" is a song written by Tom Petty and recorded by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was recorded on July 22, 1993, while Petty was recording his Wildflowers album, and was produced by Rick Rubin, guitarist Mike Campbell, and Tom Petty. The sessions would prove to be the last to include drummer Stan Lynch before his eventual departure in 1994. This song was first released as part of the Greatest Hits album in 1993. It rose to No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his first Billboard Top 20 hit of the 1990s, and also topped the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart for two weeks. This song also was a B-Side of "You Don't Know How It Feels". 


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She grew up in an Indiana town
Had a good lookin' momma who never was around
But she grew up tall and she grew up right
With them Indiana boys on an Indiana night

Well she moved down here at the age of eighteen
She blew the boys away, it 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 what I've been told
You never slow down, you never grow old
I'm tired of screwing up, I'm tired of goin' down
I'm tired of myself, I'm 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 in 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've got to put on that party dress
It was too cold to cry when I woke up alone
I hit the last number, I 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

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Tom Petty

Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty (born October 20, 1950) was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He had also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr. and Muddy Wilbury. more »

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10 facts about this song

Song Fact
"Mary Jane's Last Dance" was recorded in 1993 as part of the Greatest Hits album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Song Origin
It was Tom Petty's first song to use a title that wasn't part of the lyrics.
Lyric Inspiration
The lyrics are laced with drug references, arguable from the notorious title, "Mary Jane," a colloquialism for marijuana. However, Petty always dodged direct correlation.
Music Video Fact
The song's music video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video in 1994.
Crew Information
The music video was directed by Julien Temple and featured Tom Petty taking home a beautiful woman who is revealed to be a corpse.
Notable Appearance
The woman-corpse was played by Kim Basinger, an Academy Award-winning actress, in the music video.
Milestone
"Mary Jane's Last Dance" was the last song performed by Petty before his death at his final concert that took place at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on September 25, 2017.
Chart Performance
The song peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Petty's first Top 20 hit of the 1990s.
Backing Vocalist
The song's female backup vocals were performed by Patty Griffin.
Controversy
The song was noted for its similarity in its chorus to The Jayhawks' song "Waiting for the Sun," leading to speculations it was plagiarized. However, no legal action was ever taken.

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    Mary Jane's Last Dance

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1994

    Billboard #14


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