Back in around 1994 and 1995 I spent six months in Norway with a friend and co-worker. We were supposed to be evaluating a Life Insurance System that was developed by a company purchased by the company we both worked for. It was a very interesting time and we visited lots of touristy places and walked endlessly around the old town.
On the weekends we'd frequent a place called "Ye Olde English Pub". Hey, they spoke English.
Now, at this time we worked with a woman named Linda and she was fond of the Tom Petty song, "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and would often be singing the lyrics, "Oh my, my, Oh hell yes, better put on that party dress" and the next line or two.
"Ye Olde English Pub" had a juke box. Three songs for ten kroner. At the time it was about seven kroner to the dollar so it was about a dollar and a quarter for three songs. My friend, Russ, and I would take turns feeding ten kroner to the juke box. We could play anything we liked for two songs but one of the songs every time had to be "Mary Jane's Last Dance". I'm sure after a few nights everyone hated seeing us come in.
We'd drink Guiness stout, play darts and constantly play the jukebox. Just how many times can one listen to "Mary Jane's Last Dance"? I don't know but we did it around ten times an evening. Still, when it comes on the oldies station I have to crank the volume and sing along.
Not one of my funeral songs I guess but one of those songs that will always have memories tied to it. Russ and I in Norway with the snow falling outside, the streets covered in ice in that nice, warm bar getting wasted and listening to Tom Petty.
Good time.
I was sitting here trying to decide what MP3 to download with my 2 free downloads on Amazon. I had already purchased The Shape of Us by Ian Britt (which I stumbled upon by sheer luck when they played it on a TV show I love). Reading this, I realized I have no Tom Petty on my computer! How did that happen? Mary Jane is now downloaded.
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