Mary Jane's Last Dance
Encyclopedia
"Mary Jane's Last Dance" is the title of a song written by Tom Petty
and recorded song 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 #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.
didn't agree singing about "hey, Indiana Girl," so Rubin changed it a week later.
, which won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video
in 1994, features Petty as a morgue assistant who takes home a dead woman (played by Kim Basinger
) for a dinner date. A scene in the video featuring the dead woman wearing a wedding dress in a room full of wax candles is loosely based on a passage from the Charles Dickens
novel Great Expectations
. Later, Petty is 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.
During the final scenes of the video, Tom is seen carrying Kim Basinger through a cave before placing her in the water. The cave is located at Leo Carrillo State Park, Malibu CA where many movies and television shows were filmed.
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
and recorded song by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
. It was recorded on July 22, 1993 while Petty was recording his Wildflowers album, and was produced by Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
, guitarist Mike Campbell, and Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
. The sessions would prove to be the last to include drummer Stan Lynch
Stan Lynch
Stanley Joseph "Stan" Lynch is an American songwriter and record producer. He was the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for 18 years until his departure in 1994.- Early years :...
before his eventual departure in 1994. This song was first released as part of the Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Tom Petty album)
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in 1993. It is Petty's best selling album to date and was certified 10x Platinum by the RIAA on November 13, 2003. The single "Mary Jane's Last Dance" became one of Petty's most popular songs reaching #14 on the...
album in 1993. It rose to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming his first Billboard Top 20 hit of the 1990s, and also topped the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart for two weeks.
Content
Asked if the song was about drugs (since "Mary Jane" is a common nickname for marijuana, and marijuana is said to kill pain), Heartbreaker guitarist Mike Campbell said, "In the verse there is still the thing about an Indiana girl on an Indiana night, just when it gets to the chorus he had the presence of mind to give it a deeper meaning. 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." In the rest of the interview, Campbell said that the song was originally titled "Indiana Girl" and the first chorus "Hey, Indiana Girl, go out and find the world." He went on to say that their producer, Rick RubinRick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
didn't agree singing about "hey, Indiana Girl," so Rubin changed it a week later.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, which won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video is one of the four original general awards that have been handed out every year since the very first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, though, the award was briefly renamed Male Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work...
in 1994, features Petty as a morgue assistant who takes home a dead woman (played by Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger
Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for her portrayals of Domino Petachi, the Bond girl in Never Say Never Again , and Vicki Vale, the female lead in Batman . Basinger received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture...
) for a dinner date. A scene in the video featuring the dead woman wearing a wedding dress in a room full of wax candles is loosely based on a passage from the Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
novel Great Expectations
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form in the publication All the Year Round from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. It has been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times....
. Later, Petty is 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.
During the final scenes of the video, Tom is seen carrying Kim Basinger through a cave before placing her in the water. The cave is located at Leo Carrillo State Park, Malibu CA where many movies and television shows were filmed.
Charts
| Chart (1993-1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 14 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 5 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 26 |
| German Singles Chart | 63 |
| UK Singles Chart | 52 |
End-of-year charts
| End of year chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 77 |
Cover versions
- In 2010, the singer/songwriter Derwood released a southern rock/reggae version of the song. It was released as a single under the album name Mary Jane's Last Dance.
- In 2005, Keller WilliamsKeller WilliamsKeller Williams is an American musician from Fredericksburg, Virginia, who began performing in the early 1990s. He is also known by the names K-Dub or just Keller, when performing. Williams' music combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz, funk, and...
released a bluegrassBluegrass musicBluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
version entitled "Mary Jane's Last Breakdown" on the album GrassGrass (album)Grass is the 10th studio album by Keller Williams, released in 2005. On Grass, Keller is accompanied by The Keels, a husband and wife duo named Larry and Jenny Keel. On this album, Larry Keel, Keller's childhood friend, plays lead guitar, Jenny Keel plays bass, and Keller plays rhythm guitar...
.
- In 2006, a U.S. radio station claimed that Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
hit single, "Dani CaliforniaDani California"Dani California" is a single from the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers's ninth studio album, Stadium Arcadium. The single was first made available at the iTunes Music Store and then was officially released on May 2, 2006...
" had plagiarised Petty's song, "Mary Jane's Last Dance" even calling for Petty to sue the Chili Peppers. Longtime Petty and Chili Peppers producer, Rick RubinRick RubinFrederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
produced both songs. Petty responded by saying that he was not going to sue the Chili Peppers and felt that there was no negative intent and that a lot of rock & roll songs sound alike. Petty's song however resembles another song called Waiting For The Sun which was released in 1992 by The Jayhawks. The Jayhawks were the opening act for Petty's tour in 1992 and Benmont Tench played on both Waiting For The Sun and Mary Jane's Last Dance.