Tom Petty - Mary Jane's Last Dance - Lyrics Meaning

Mary Jane's Last Dance can be found on the album,

The original title of this song was "Indiana Girl" The first chorus went, "Hey Indiana Girl, go out and find the world". Although many consider this to be a song about marijuana, the fact it is likely that the song is actually about a girl.

In the first verse, we learn that Mary Jane grew up without her mother being around much. She grew up with "Indiana boys on Indiana nights", which suggests that Mary Jane may have been out having too much fun without proper guidance.

At the age of 18, Mary Jane moves out of her town and meets the singer. They got along well. Although she liked him, she told him that she had no intention of hanging around for a long time. In the last verse, the singer seems like he's tired of everything, including the town he lives in. Mary Jane has moved on and is in a hotel room and the singer wakes up alone and depressed. His walking to the road at the end could signify that he is forcing himself to move on.

The chorus, "Last dance with Mary Jane..." could be referring either to a last date with the girl, or to marijuana.