I would like to take a moment to focus on the extremely odd line "I feel summer creepin in" found in the third line of the refrain.
Ostensibly, "I feel summer creepin in" means that the narrator is aware of summer approaching and that there will shortly be a change of seasons. Change of seasons frequently in literature and language refers to a change in someone's life. Often a process of aging and growing up (think about what people mean when they say a "May-December romance") as well as a process of leaving things behind.
Summer is generally used in terms that have good connotations. Summer break, summer vacation, summer camp, summer sun. It is a season of warmth, of good weather, the earth becomes green again, crops flourish, people spend their free time out of doors, children run around playing, the days are longer, fruit ripens on the vine.
People look forward to summer, but not the narrator.
Instead of choosing words that would indicate the narrator is looking forward to summer (e.g. summer is dawning, gearing up for summer, getting ready for summer, summer's warming up, etc.), the narrator chooses to describe the eminent change in seasons as a "creepin[g] in."
"Creepin[g]" has its own set of connotations, ones rarely associated with the joys of summer. Creeping refers to sneaking, stalking, coming up behind one unawares, or the general creepy-crawly feeling people get when something is amiss.
By pairing the dawn of summer with the verb "creepin[g]" the writer clearly defines for us that this eminent change is not a good change, that the narrator does not like it, and we should not feel good about it either.
redue of 1st verse translation
15 years ago
4 comments:
Now, what if summer doesn't really mean summer at all? To me, it makes more sense that summer would mean something like depression and boredom. When I think of summer, I think of long hot summer days where you sit around bored to death. Now when I think of beaches and swimming and picnics and fun, I think of summer vacation.
"I feel summer creepin in and I'm tired of this town again" Sounds like, I feel the depressing reality of boredom in my life creepin in, and I am tired of it and/or tired of this town.
I think the song does deal with drugs, but not solely drugs. I think that it is about depression, loss, boredom, self medication, and ultimately using mary jane to escape pain. Just my opinion.
ah! I was wondering what you meant before when you said 'what if summer isn't summer'
I always interpreted it as seen from someone who lives in Florida. Spring is THE season there. When summer creeps in, things die down, and all the excitement (and tourists) leave.
I lived and worked there for a season, and when May came, all the people who came down to work the season left, me included. I even went back to Indiana and Market Square.
So summer creeping in signifies at minimum the end of the big party and the beginning of the hot boring summer.
The last dance might be the last encounter with MJ before she leaves for points north again.
Mary Jane's Last Dance has a lot of double meanings and can be interpreted in any which way.
In my point of view, I think Tom Petty would be too crude to pen lyrics so blatantly about marijuana. It seems to be more about boredom in a rural town, where the youth get their kicks from parties, sex, booze, or drugs, and the escapist atmosphere where they all want to get away from. The theme is similar to Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" and Rush's "The Analog Kid".
Whatever you think about it, "Mary Jane's Last Dance" is a song that makes you think what message it seeks to convey to you, and if you can relate to that message, while thumping your feet to the beat and singling the ohh-so-catchy and melodic chorus.
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