Heartbreakers

March 14, 2010

While hanging out with Diana Catherine at her CMW gig, we learnt that they would have an extended set because one of the other bands in the showcase didn’t show. I made a request that they sing Mary Jane’s Last Dance by Tom Petty – because I just love the way she and her band make it sound! She agreed! So, I got to listen to it at the Cadillac Lounge after drinking many gin and tonics – which is my idea of a night in heaven. Today’s question is: Is Mary Jane’s Last Dance about drugs?

A:
Tom Petty has never confirmed what the song is about, but there are 2 common interpretations. It could be about Petty's divorce from his wife Jane, which happened a year before this was recorded in 1993. Another possibility is that it is about marijuana, as "Mary Jane" is slang for pot and the lyrics refer to killing the pain, which the drug is known for. Mike Campbell, The Heartbreaker’s guitarist, offered this explanation: "My take on it is it can be whatever you want it to be. A lot of people think it's a drug reference, and if that's what you want to think, it very well could be, but it could also just be a goodbye love song."

The break-up theory can be justified by the music video in which Tom played a mortician who takes home a corpse played by Kim Basinger. When he gets her home, he puts her in a wedding dress and dances with her. Petty is then shown carrying her to a rocky shore and gently releasing her into the sea. At the end of the video, Basinger is seen floating in the water with her eyes open. It won Best Male Video at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards. It was later revealed that Basinger was not the first choice for the video, and Petty wanted Sharon Stone, but she didn't answer his request.

In any case, whether about breaking-up, smoking a joint or being a necrophiliac, I still really love the song!

Sources:
Song Facts
Wikipedia: Mary Jane’s Last Dance