http://youtu.be/y4JKOOGV35E

@1 Rick James' Mary Jane is my favorite by far.

If you're interested in music history, or the derivation of the phrase Mary Jane, look deeper.

Having grown up in that era, I always thought Mary Jane was a 1960s slang. It is not. A few years ago I heard a recording of a song from the 1920s that prominently used the slang Mary Jane. I didn't write it down, but it was a black, female vocalist, so my guess is it was likely either recorded in Harlem or New Orleans. It sounded more Harlem to me.

In any case, the use of Mary Jane in music goes back at least 100 years, perhaps longer. I had no idea.

Then there's dudes like David Peel, who—while objectively not very good—sure had a fun time not even bothering with euphemisms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i25x_7bn…

@3 WHOA! Thanks for the lesson!