▁" M ary ▁Jane ' s ▁Last ▁Dance ". ▁To ▁demonstrate , ▁they ▁presented ▁audio ▁sni ppets ▁of ▁both ▁songs , ▁both ▁side ▁by ▁side ▁and ▁simultaneously ▁( i . e . ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁each ▁other ) ▁several ▁times . ▁They ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁ch ord ▁pro gression , ▁key , ▁and ▁the ▁lyr ical ▁theme ▁of ▁the ▁songs ▁( both ▁produced ▁by ▁Rick ▁Rub in ) ▁showed ▁" start ling ▁similar ities " ▁and ▁ur ged ▁listen ers ▁to ▁" de cide ▁for ▁themselves ." ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁ch ord ▁progress ions ▁sound ▁similar , ▁they ▁do ▁in ▁fact ▁differ ▁as ▁" M ary ▁Jane ' s ▁Last ▁Dance " ▁follows ▁" Am , ▁G , ▁D , ▁Am " ▁( A ▁Dor ian ▁mode ), ▁while ▁" D ani ▁California " ▁follows ▁" Am , ▁G , ▁D m , ▁Am " ▁( A ▁minor ). ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago ▁music ologist ▁Tra vis ▁Jackson ▁said ▁the ▁songs ' ▁ch ord ▁progress ions ▁were ▁similar , ▁but ▁were ▁a ▁" pre tty ▁standard ▁gro ove " ▁in ▁music ▁and ▁not ▁necessarily ▁evidence ▁of ▁copying . ▁Other ▁comment ators ▁on ▁the ▁controvers y ▁point ▁out ▁that ▁the ▁main ▁r iff ▁in ▁Pet ty ' s ▁song ▁res emb les ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁prior ▁song ▁called ▁" Wait ing ▁for ▁the ▁Sun " ▁which ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁by ▁The ▁Jay h aw ks . ▁The ▁Jay h aw ks ▁were ▁the ▁opening ▁act ▁for ▁Pet ty ' s