Tom Petty Lyrics

The best Tom Petty lyrics were inspired by events in his life. Petty is a prolific songwriter, so he has a large body of work to examine in the search for his best lyrical compositions. For most songwriters, it's their songs with the greatest emotional impact that feature their best lyrics. Tom Petty is no exception to that rule.

1. “Free Fallin'.” Petty and his co-writer Jeff Lynne began roughing out the lyrics for this song while they were playing guitar and keyboards and brainstorming how to approach Petty's solo album “Full Moon Fever.” The song, about a guy who leaves his girlfriend without regret, has simple lyrics and only uses three guitar chords. The chorus lyrics “And I'm free, free fallin'/ Yeah I'm free, free fallin',” expresses the singer's sheer joy at no longer being tied down by a relationship. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers finished their halftime show at Super Bowl XLII with “Free Fallin'”. Interestingly enough, this song is not one of Petty's favorites.

2. “Refugee.” Petty wrote the lyrics for this song while Mike Campbell wrote the music. Petty has said that he was in a very defiant mood when he wrote this song because his record company had just sold his band's contract without the band's permission, an action that Petty vehemently opposed. The actual composition of the song wasn't difficult, but recording it to their satisfaction for the “Damn the Torpedoes” album was a difficult undertaking for Petty and Campbell. Petty expresses his defiance, apathy, and anger at the record company with the lyrics, “It don't make no difference to me, baby/ Everybody's had to fight to be free.”

3. “Mary Jane's Last Dance.” The lyrics to this song are a bit of a mystery since Petty has never revealed their meaning or inspiration other than saying that the girl in this song is the same character that's in “American Girl.” One theory is that the song is about drugs since “Mary Jane” is a slang term for marijuana. Another theory is that the lyrics somehow reflect Petty's depression over the end of his first marriage. Mike Campbell has said that it could be a love song to say goodbye, or it could be about drugs dulling mental pain. The video for this song is very weird as Petty brings home a corpse, puts her in a wedding dress, and proceeds to dance with her. The lyrics “Well I don't know but I've been told, you never slow down, you never grow old/ I'm tired of screwin' up, tired of goin' down/ Tired of myself, tired of this town',” seem to have little to do with love or saying goodbye. They seem to indicate that the singer is living aimlessly and is getting tired of his lifestyle and lack of purpose.

4. “Don't Do Me Like That.” Petty's lyrics in this song helped make it a top ten hit, the first one by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The song is from the “Damn the Torpedoes” album and still gets airplay on many classic rock stations. Some critics contend that the song is shallow and that the lyrics lack the usual depth and passion of a Tom Petty song. But, this song's popularity over the years indicates that its lyrics have been underrated. The lines “Someone's gonna tell you lies/ Cut you down to size,” are the classic sentiments expressed by spurned lovers to the object of their affection.

5. “Stop Draggin' My Heart Around.” Stevie Nicks sang this song with Petty for her solo album “Bella Donna,” and the Heartbreakers performed the instrumental portion of the song. Nicks is the primary singer for the song, but Petty definitely holds his own as a vocalist. Many people believe that the lyrics to this song demonstrate Petty's versatility and depth as a songwriter. The chorus lyrics “Stop draggin' my/ Stop draggin' my/ Stop draggin' my heart around,” are a plea by the singer for her lover to stop playing with her emotions.