Mary Janes Last Dance Alternate Chorus Lyric?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by For the Record, Aug 18, 2016.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. For the Record

    For the Record Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    Just listening to Tom Petty's Greatest Hits on vinyl.

    Got to Mary Janes Last Dance and the first chorus says;

    "Last Dance with Mary Jane
    Round the room and on my way."

    I've NEVER heard this version before. I've always heard "One more time to kill the pain", which is
    what he sings for the remaining chorus' after.

    Anyone have any information on this version? I don't recall the original CD having this lyric.
     
  2. stephenlee

    stephenlee Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    Damn, you're right!

    I picked up the vinyl the other day, but hadn't listened to it yet. After reading your post, I played it and, sure enough, the first chorus lyric is different! I compared it to all other appearances of the song in my collection, and I don't think this particular version has ever been released before. Looks like a screw-up to me!

    I bet this version -- with the wrong chorus lyric -- was the way the song originally was finished. Then, afterward, Petty went back and replaced that first chorus with a copy of one of the later choruses (which all feature the "one more time to kill the pain" lyric) before releasing it.

    Good catch!
     
  3. Can anyone do an SoundCloud or upload to YouTube? If not the whole track, just the part in question?
     
  4. For the Record

    For the Record Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    It's defiantly never been released before. I Googled and searched and found NOTHING.

    Here is just a quick video I took as requested.

     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2016
  5. jude7265

    jude7265 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania, US
    I was just talking about this with a coworker today. The first time I heard it last night I thought, "Did they use the wrong take?".

    Very interesting.
     
  6. Sammy Waslow

    Sammy Waslow Just watching the show

    Location:
    Ireland
    I noticed this last week and meant to ask the question here. Thanks for doing so. Interesting that - so far - it's new to everybody.
     
    Vinyl Addict likes this.
  7. For the Record

    For the Record Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    At least it's only the fist chorus. Would have been really upset if all the chorus' had that line.

    Mainly because Jane and Way don't even rhyme!

    BUT, it does definitely mean the song is about SMOKING POT. Tom Petty was always hush hush about it. Never "claiming" the song was about pot. (At least back when it came out)
    HOWEVER, Round the room sounds like he's referring to passing a joint around the room and then getting high.
     
    Soundman and Fullbug like this.
  8. stephenlee

    stephenlee Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    I just started a "conversation" with Ryan Ulyate (ryan de topanga) to try to get him to join in and comment on this. The credits for the vinyl release indicate that he supervised the mastering. It will be interesting to see he says!
     
    Vinyl Addict likes this.
  9. My guess--an alternate take was used with the different line.
     
  10. stephenlee

    stephenlee Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    Except that -- except for that one chorus -- the two versions are identical! I think it's a splice job (replacing the alternate chorus) rather than an alternate take.
     
  11. For the Record

    For the Record Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    For what reason? And why did this version not surface for 23 years?
     
  12. Sammy Waslow

    Sammy Waslow Just watching the show

    Location:
    Ireland
    Soon-to-be-withdrawn pressing!
    Rare!
    ;):D
     
    2trackmind, Fullbug and ARK like this.
  13. gabbleratchet7

    gabbleratchet7 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Reminds me of when U2's Mysterious Ways had a different line in the Best Of release compared to the original.

    Petty also had a lyric change for You Don't Know How It Feels, when "Let's roll another joint" became "Let's hit another joint" that some radio stations chose to play to avoid controversy.
     
  14. Vinyl Addict

    Vinyl Addict Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA

    I noticed this the other day too. My wife and I looked at each other with confusion.

    Anyone notice the UK has an extra track as well?
    Track A3 " Anything That's Rock n Roll"
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2016
  15. bare trees

    bare trees Senior Member

    Is it possible that this alternate version might have been included by design? A secret gift for those who bought this release.
     
  16. McCool

    McCool Forum Resident

    Certain recent remixes (Pono/itunes/etc.) differ ever so slightly from the compact disc mixes. This is an example of such. In some cases, Petty has recently gone back into his archives and applied slight modern editing to previously released tracks. In the case of "Travelin'" off of 1995's "Playback" box set, Petty altered a line of lyric which originally read: "I'll be good, as good as gold/till the enth or maybe better" to "I'll be good, as good as gold/hold you in my arms forever". In a more extreme case, apparently the entire "Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)" album has been given a brand new mix although I must admit I'm not sure if that mix features as part of the Pono campaign or is being held over for the vinyl reissue campaign.

    That's nothing new. "Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll" was a huge hit for the band in the UK in 1977. Technically it was the first big hit they ever had predating both "Breakdown" and "American Girl" getting radio airplay in the United States by several months. So when "Greatest Hits" was first issued abroad in 1993, "Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll" had to be included because it was a hit abroad but not in the United States.
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2016
  17. Vinyl Addict

    Vinyl Addict Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA

    I would figure they would have added it to the new US release. I was surprised to see it only on the UK.
     
  18. Rockinrob

    Rockinrob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    I just thought this was more evidence our dimension is merging with an alternate dimension due to the large hadron collider/cern opening a portal...
     
    limoges and cwitt1980 like this.
  19. Rockinrob

    Rockinrob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    I also made a quick video.

    It is super startling to hear for the first time!
     
    drum_cas and DmitriKaramazov like this.
  20. badfingerjoe

    badfingerjoe Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    So is this version on all original pressings of this album? Or is there only one pressing?
     
  21. Rockinrob

    Rockinrob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    I have a UK - didn't realize it when I ordered it, but I must've gotten it from importcds on amazon.
     
  22. TBone61

    TBone61 Forum Resident

    Location:
    rural Michigan
    Listened to my U.S. version last night and wondered the same thing. It sounds like both the import and domestic versions have the alternate lyrics in the first chorus. Did anybody get one with the "One more time to kill the pain" lyrics in the first chorus that were on the CD version of "Mary Jane's Last Dance"?
     
  23. GrahamBW

    GrahamBW Senior Member

    Location:
    Illinois, USA
    I see Petty's Greatest Hits is available at HDTracks. Does anybody know if their version of "Mary Jane's Last Dance" has the alternate lyric?
     
  24. badfingerjoe

    badfingerjoe Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    How 'bout the CD version of this release? You would think they used the same master for both the LP & CD?
     
  25. ThatBigBeatSound

    ThatBigBeatSound Active Member

    Location:
    Tennessee
    Late to the party here, but I just got this 2 x LP and my version of Mary Jane's Last Dance has the 'normal' lyric. The shrink has a sticker that says "Pressed in Germany" and it's got CB's initials in the deadwax. Sound-quality is OK but the pressing seems to lack a little low end, overall. It doesn't sound as good as I expected from reading all the reviews ... maybe a re-cut?
     
    cwitt1980 likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine