Talk:Mary Jane's Last Dance

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[edit] RHCP and this song

I've removed something to the effect of: On the 17th May 2006, it was discovered that the Red Hot Chili Peppers had in fact used exactly the same chord progressions in their new hit single Dani California. Lyrical content is also very similar. It is unclear whether legal action will follow. twice now. Can someone source this if it's true? Otherwise, it reads like speculation/original research. — BrianSmithson 11:51, 25 May 2006 (UTC)

Well, it appears that the DJ who made this actually sped up Mary Jane's Last Dance so that it had the same pacing as Dani California. They don't even sound similar, it's just pure speculation and only similar if you don't have good ears. I'd say take it off, but it's your choice. -TonicBH 19:52, 31 May 2006 (UTC)

I remember hearing the song on the radio and remarking on how it sounded like MJLD. Until this article gets a lot more added to it, I can't see how it hurts leaving the info, I guess. — BrianSmithson 20:34, 31 May 2006 (UTC)

Leave it, it sounds a lot alike. People with poor ears probally have a hard time catching it, but if remove dani's bass line and drums, the chord progression is strikingly similar.

There's only so many chords. There are literally millions of songs with similar chord progressions. A song is far more than a chord progression.Mikenosilly 06:37, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Drug reference

-I’m not sure the link to other “songs about drugs” belongs on this posting. Mary Jane’s Last Dance can be interpreted several ways. The artists have not confirmed the song is a reference to Marijuana nor is there a critical consensus to that effect. The songs is just as likely about prostitution, Tom Petty’s ex-wife or the exploits of a small town girl trying to join the metropolitan cultural elite.

"Mary Jane" killing the pain?? There's no doubt what this song is about. COuldn't be much more explicit really.Mikenosilly 06:38, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

I think it's inappropriate to link to "songs about drugs" without mentioning the possibility of interpretations in the body of the article. If we said it may be about drugs, then it would be fine. But we'd still want a source for the speculation. NickelShoe (Talk) 16:56, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

The artists have said this song can really be about whatever you want. I think linking to "song about drugs" is inappropriate, since the song's meaning is completely subjective. TheEasterBunny 18:33, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Jayhawks song

The site linked after the Jayhawks note is biased (calls Petty's song a "blatant rip-off" of the Jayhawks song) and is not what I would consider a reliable source. The fact is that many songs use the same chord progression, and as a guitar player myself, I can tell from listening to the Jayhawks' song what chords they play. These are not the same as Petty's (notably, the third chord, where as the progression goes Am, G, F, Am for the Jayhawks, Petty's song is played Am, G, D, Am). Therefore, I inserted the statement about neutrality. Also, the song was stated (in the link above that) that the band had been "kicking around" the song for a while, which seems that if the record was released in 1993, it would have to have been recorded in 1992 or 1993. For a song of that caliber, it most likely had been around or had been an idea for some amount of time. Not enough support is given to support this claim made that the song was in any way "copied". Zchris87v 06:08, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

-- It is in fact true that the bulk of Mary Jane's Last Dance was written not long after the time of Full Moon Fever, as mentioned in Petty's biography by Paul Zollo. There is not a chance that he was even influenced by the Jayhawks in this situation.