Oh, man... Why bother trying to decide?! Each song he recorded was great! I really love Tom Petty's music, both with or without the Heartbreakers. His collaborations with Stevie Nicks and his Traveling Wilburys work is all great, too.
I don't know. Am I driving a car... at night or during the day? Am I relaxing? working, ETC? I am no good at definitive musical choices without context. Breakdown and You got lucky(the sci-fi video roped me in), are probably my top two. My smile is always the deepest when they come on. You know, the smile that tingles your soul.
Great news! No one really knows how much time they have left. Even if a doctor gives an estimated amount of time someone has, it's still a guess. It's not as if we have an expiration date stamped on us somewhere. I'm fighting my third battle with beast called cancer. This one is the worst by far.
In the vid you're asking about "Won't Back Down" and what the song means to me. Here's my story; in 1988 I had (still have) a beautiful daughter. She was almost 3 at the time Full Moon Fever was out. I was married to one of the meanest SOB's that ever crossed my path. I now refer to him as "Lucifer in disguise". I was about to be 23, young, naive about a lot of things, in an extremely abusive relationship and was emotionally, physically & literally beaten down because of this person. Anyone who has ever been in an abusive relationship can tell you, it comes to a point of fear. You're scared to leave, scared to stand up for yourself and basically you just cower in the corner like a whipped pup. After hearing Won't Back Down on the radio, I bought Full Moon Fever on cassette. I listened to that song over & over. It gave me courage & strength to stand up for myself and protect MY child from his evilness. I did not leave. I stood up to him and told him to GET OUT!! I am 58 now and have never tolerated being mistreated by anyone ever again. Don't start no shit - but I damn sure ain't gonna take no shit off anyone! Tom Petty helped give me the courage I needed to rid myself of a situation that could have ended my life.
Knowing you're caught in a hurricane, and figuring out how to break free from it, are two very different thngs. You're smart enough to be afraid. But, the fear itself becomes a part of your prison. They don't call it, 'being petrified' for nothing. You may just freeze. I hope referring to song lyrics isn't a problem. For me, it's the opposite of taking something lightly. It's just how I think. In her song 'Birmingham', Amanda Marshall sets the stage at the outset: "Virgil Spencer's got a 19-inch Hitachi And many demons lingering Friday night, he pulled a gun to change the channel Something that he picked up from the king His wife remembers well the man she knew Seems the dreams she had have all turned black and blue". Is "the king" in this instance Elvis? I didn't try to find the answer. But, a guy who puts a bullet through the TV screen to change the channel probably isn't anyone to mess with. You may find yourself choosing every word and action around him very carefully. The fight or flight decision couldn't be more important. But, choosing the right one may be very hard. It can be harder if you start adding others to the equation, like your children. In 'Blown Away', Carrie Underwood describes a different kind of fear and abuse. Her father is apparently a drunk. With her mother dead and gone, sanity and peace have left the premises. It was bad enough that when she realizes a tornado in Oklahoma's tornado alley is approaching, she doesn't pray for deliverance. She prays the tornado levels the place--even if it takes her with him. (I'm searching for a 3rd song I really like. I'll add it if I can find it). I'm glad that you found your way to safety for you and yours. Romantic relationships can be complicated. Everyone probably does something strange from time to time. We try to weigh: how strange, and how often? Did they scream out the front door? Or, did they scream at you 6 inches from your face? Something in between? Those are just a few examples. If everyone split up due to hard times, nobody would get and stay married. On the other hand, sometimes the tell-tale cracks in the structure around you force your hand. I'm not suggesting we should handle it like Jennifer Lopez, in the film, "Enough". But, you obviously knew it was time to act decisively. I wish as good an outcome to everyone who faces some of life's hardest situations and decisions. And, yes, if you didn't guess, I've faced some of those, too. (Officially off of my soapbox now). Thanks
I was lucky enough to be at his final show ever - September 25, 2017 at the Hollywood Bowl. He died days later on October 2, 2017 (not Oct 3). His death still hurts my soul.
I was at the September 21st show, which I am forever grateful for seeing him the first and only time. With a good friend of mine, we had a magical night.
Jeff Lynne is one of the most underrated writer/performer/producer geniuses of all time. Shame that so few even know who he is, much less about his influence on popular music. Lynne and Georgio Moroder shaped the sound of so much modern music. Literal unsung heroes. 🙂🤘
Jeff Lynne underrated and rarely known? One can't identify with Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) without knowing who Jeff Lynne is. His objective statement was, "Electric Light Orchestra will pick up where the Beatles left off." with their own unique identity and did not disappoint. Jeff Lynne continued on as a top producer, engineer, songwriter, and guest musician and backing vocalist for many artists and bands in multiple genres. He is upper echelon in the music industry.
@@pookiepookie8669 And for that reason, they find such information and acknowledgement from informative sites such as this one and through the comments of us old timers. Yes, I also realize that not even people, such as I, who have lived through the epic years of the Rock genre which has been infused with Folk, Blues, Soul, R&B, Country, Bluegrass, Jazz, Classical, Reggae, Skiffle among others, and then it birthed other genres of said Rock such as Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock, Heavy Metal and other forms of Metal and all sorts of cross genre music that was groundbreaking. It is one of the very few things where it is actually better to go backwards than live in the moment of where music is today. Music today has no control or context. As bad as it sounds, things were actually better when there were only a handful of major record labels because artists had to be outstanding to be a mainstay and make an impression. What do we have today? Hundreds of thousands of independent labels that no one recognizes, and artists who can write, compose and produce music on a laptop computer with the right software and equipment. Hell, I can even do it, but I simply wouldn't, I just don't want to. I can write lyrics. Yet I can't read or write music. But I don't have to, just experiment with some random chords until it sounds good and put them into an arrangement and synthesized instrumentals, use Vocal Magic Pro software, and do all sorts of overdubs, the add special effects. Ta Da. It was fun, but so was playing pinball back in the day. I wasn't going to make a career out of it. I am much like the Professor of Rock, I am a musicologist, but I have been at it since I was 11, and although it is not a profession, it is a hobby does not mean I am not dead serious about it. I am because I have been at it for 55 years. I know stuff and have met people, and it started as being a journalist at a school paper, and then being asked to be a ghost writer for Georgia Straight in Vancouver. A ghost writer, writes articles which go under an established column pseudonym, otherwise there are a number or writers submitting articles. Then it spread to a variety of other underground newspapers such as The Rag, San Francisco Express Times, The Great Speckled Bird, and then the higher profile magazine style music rags such as Creem, Blues Unlimited, Crawdaddy, and Circus. They all wanted ghost writers, and I didn't want my own name out there at such a tender age. Who would take such a young teenager seriously? I never submitted to Rolling Stone magazine, simply because they were far too commercial and "plastic" which is the word we used back then. Elastic was cool, plastic was not cool. I did not make it to Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, although at the age of 12, I fully intended to go, but got derailed by other things, but at the age of 14, the summer of 1969, I headed out east to upstate New York for Woodstock, I turned 15 during my journey since my birthday is in July. I had recently read John Steinbeck's travelogue book, "Travels With Charley: In Search of America" and it inspired me to travel North America, Mexico, Cuba and some of the Caribbean Islands. You see, I skipped a couple of grades, and graduated high school at the age of 14 with an armload of full ride scholarships. I suffered all kinds of indignities being a gifted child, and had sacrificed a great deal of my childhood because I was different, and therefore ostracized constantly. So, I decided to take a few years to myself before I entered my first university. Thank you John Steinbeck. I met a lot of amazing folk, and I get along with people easily, so my major in Psychology was well warranted. Woodstock was and eye opener. It was also a transition era, it was the end of the peace, love, and unbridled sex era, (although a lot of that still kicked about) to more of an era of getting down to business and being more creative. The 70s started to be more of an album rock era, and also power bands were moving into arenas and thus the era or Arena Rock. Outdoor events started to dwindle, although they still exist, they are not near as popular as selling out an arena for three nights in a row. Plus Arenas have far better sound systems or they can be set up by the artist's technicians better. I remember getting nose bleed seats for a Pink Floyd concert, thinking I would be disappointed sitting in the rafters. I was not, they had this massive screen up high that showed the stage better than sitting in the front row, they had speakers set up in the upper tiers above the seating area and they were not just surround sound, each speaker was a distinct channel controlled by an engineer, and audio just whipped around our heads and blew our minds. Not to mention the floating devices which were remotely operated, and I came almost nose to nose with a giant floating pig. Of course I was high, more ways than one.
I miss Tom so much. I'm not going to lie, I got choked up several times during your thoughtful tribute to him. He and Jeff Lynn are two of my most important heroes. Thank you so much for sharing your passion for music and articulating it so well, it definately matters....it means alot. Peace brother.
"Somewhere, somehow, somebody must've kicked you around some..." That line from his first hit carried a theme all the way to his last hit. We are all survivors.
I loved the interview he had years later about the fire destroying all their clothes and the people that donated new ones for them. He said he still had the shirts and still wore them, the man was truly humbled by the kindness of the donations.
Without reservation I can say that song is one the best of all time at capturing the intense feelings of falling in love. Tom simply knew. Whatever it was that you were going through, Tom knew and and was able to convey those feelings and emotions in a way that made me feel like I wasn't alone in the way I felt about my own life. Tom knew. He just knew... Legendary legend I was lucky enough to have seen in concert.
@@smitsonavane6278 I named musicians that affected me personally. but in hindsight, I should have listed Freddie as his range is equal to opera singers.
Great story about after the fire he and his family had but the clothes on their backs and his nearby neighbor Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics had her assistant go out and buy $3,000.00 worth of clothes for him and his family. Tom was beyond moved. It’s in his biography and he touched on it in his documentary Running down a dream on his career with the heartbreakers.
Full Moon Fever was the first album I purchased with my own money. I was 10 years old. I can still remember removing the plastic wrapping and breathing in the new cassette tape aroma. Man, that smell always instantly transports you back.
@DogMan - Thanks. I just got 500 classical CDs (many original 1986 discs). All totally mint. Is it worth selling as a collection? Or by artist? I prefer auction versus fixed price.
Doesn’t it feel like he was each and everyone of us friend? He is the only songwriter and performer that I mourned over. I still cry remembering this truly gifted artist! I can honestly say that I did love him!
Yes !!! He was a friend to us, I've always felt that way about him, but not any other...and I still cry too, especially when I watch the "Pack Up the Plantation" tour.... 2017 was rough at the end...first Tom, then Malcolm Young we lost in November....I feel I didn't get to grieve Malcolm properly because I was still so devastated after having lost Tom...needless to say, I still shed tears over both of them pretty much almost every day. Don't think I'll ever get over that loss.
ABSOLUTELY..4 Sure. Tommy wz Almost LIKE Jesus 4 Me..as Wz George in Example-- Tommy becuz He had Felt that samevPain. I Miss him So Much. God' s Love & Mercy upon him Always.
This came out when I was in the middle of learning to give care, as my dad was terminal. This became my anthem-my fight song, as it were-to have the strength to keep it together, until he passed.
The more I learn about Tom Petty the more he moves me. He was & is such a kind, sweet, beautiful soul and I will always be grateful for the musical legacy he left for us all.
I was blessed enough to have seen Tom Petty in concert. What a spectacular show! The smell of weed and the sweet music filling the air. Those memories will stay with me forever.
My all time favorite artist. I saw him 13 times....The last being his final tour. I almost didn't go because i was having a little financial issues at the time, but was able to swing it anyway. I'm so happy I did now that I know i'll never get the chance again.
I'm sure there will be many comments about standing up to bullies so mine won't be original but I'm sure it's different. I grew up in a time when bullying was not treated the way it is today. Being small (I didn't hit 100 lbs until 8th grade) and being from 1 of the poorest families in town made me a natural target of bullys. I was a huge Petty fan. I had all his albums courtesy of the BMG music club and Columbia House from the TV guide. Who didn't send in the card with a penny taped to it for 12 CDs? I even had accounts in my grandmother's name. At the start of 7th grade I was unlucky enough to be placed in class with the school bully who was older because he had failed 2 grades. He hated me and picked on me (much like your situation) always in front of girls. One day I felt really bad about letting him getting away with it. I drown my sorrows in my bedroom with my CDs ashamed to even tell anyone how I felt. Pettys Full Moon Fever was of course part of that. I decided that night I wasn't gonna let him pick on me anymore. The next day he started making fun of my clothes, calling me a clown and in class he hit me in the side of the face with huge spit ball. I told him he wrong if he thought he'd get away with that 1. He of course told me he would kick my ass and I don't know where what I said came from but it would serve me well the rest of my school years. I told him "you might kick my ass but from now on when you mess with me, you're gonna have to do it". I got up and went to sharpen my pencil. On the way back to my seat, I wound up and swung as hard as I could. He didn't even see it coming. He was sitting down. It was really a sucker punch. It landed sqaure on his nose. Immediately blood started pouring and his eyes teared up. It was worth the 5 days I spent in detention. I told school admins I was done getting picked on. I'd love to say that was the last time I was bullied but it was not. It did however drastically reduce it. From there on anyone who bullied me would have to fight me and I was not playing fair and I would always tell them "you may kick my ass but I don't back down, you're gonna have it to do". Because many of the bullys knew they would have to kick my ass if they bothered me, they left me one if favor of easier targets. I did stand up for those easier targets as well. I don't know how many times I told bullys that so and so may not fight you but I will, leave them alone! You may kick my ass, but if you keep it up you're gonna that to do. I don't back down. Thanks Tom Petty.
dam dude hear me now the reason for the words was really about a car accident in the mtns 4 wheeling why i no this is simple cause i wrote these songs yes and i will tell anyone and everyone you see i wont back down i could tell the whole story but it would take about a week one day i will release the whole story and yea i always was getting picked on to yea well i no nobody believes me sometimes it makes me laugh it is crazy right but true hear the song it was to good to be true well it s not how about she wrote a long letter on a short piece of paper or the words paper in the wind i dont want fame and i dont want fortune the only thing i want is the truth and here is a little for you the only thing a person has is truth and if you dont have that you have nothing signed the ghost writer
@@shilohstore6086 i am the one the only one that can say that and yea and that will always be cant change the fact so i said think of me what you will i got a little time to kill just rember love is a long long road !!!!!
Tom Petty was the best. My favorite two concerts in my 48 years on earth are the two Tom Petty concerts I attended. I can’t believe we’re coming up on 5 years since we lost him. A humble genius.
There are rightfully lots of comments about how great Tom Petty and his music are, but I jst wanted to point out how this video captures everything that's so great about the Professor's videos. It has it all. Love of the subject matter, tons of info on the song and Petty's life and even a remarkably poignant and powerful personal story from the Prof's life. Superb job, Adam. We are so lucky to have you. Thank you for adding to our quality of life with these amazing vids.
@@ProfessorofRock You are too kind and humble. Maybe one day you can share with us how you got this channel going? How you manage to get the interviews? How you do research, etc? Unless that's all a trade secret. I'm sure everyone would like to know more about you, beyond your music relationship with your Dad, which you talk about sometimes. Jst a thought.
Yes-- 4 Sure..He brings IDEAL Elements t the Table 4 ALL of Us. MUCH Appreciated by BOTH.. The Musicians he Shares & t Fans he further Informs. Is a Perfect Compliment. God Bless Prof of Rock TOO Much!
I remember buying Full Moon Fever when I was stationed overseas, without ever hearing any previous air play. At first listen, I knew it was a special album. That was back in 1989 and shortly after, my first marriage fell apart and "I Won't Back Down" became a sort of anthem for me. It also gave me the courage to keep moving forward with my life and not succumb to the suicidal thoughts that were running through my mind. Thank God for Tom Petty, may he rest in peace.
In the past 8 years I've had 3 go-rounds with cancer and 3 strokes, the last of which was an adult-strength job that left me unable to pick up a spoon to feed myself (I'm a lefty). Through it all, I have considered myself to be adequately recovered when I can go out in front of an audience and play and sing a full-bore F$%k You solo rendition of Won't Back Down.
hey tom well i hope you do it and blast them out of park here one day i was playing my bass at home and had the amp turned up as loud as it would go and a strange thing happened from across the canyon i heard a guitar play and so i would play some licks and pause and all of a sudden i heard a guitar play in response to me and so this went on for about an hour and so i would always rember this and one day write about it and one day i got my chance to be the ghost writer for the heartbreakers i am the one
As a teenager in 1978 I purchased You're Gonna Get It & was amazed by the 30 minutes of power pop magic. Musically , Tom never backed down. The Heartbreakers are one of the best backing bands ever. Tom was a genius.
My favorite song by one of my favorite Rock musicians. I MISS what he would have done, had he not left us far too soon. This song has, in some ways, epitomized my life. It's a theme, and anthem, and an inspiration. As holy as a hymn to me. Thanks for ALL the details and background! It means even more now!
You just did it. You out "did" yourself. It's impossible not to like your work and admire every once of effort you put into this channel. I have no problem admitting that when I saw that stadium full of fellow " human beings " sing that song, I burst out in tears. Just so you know...Your work is impeccable and so is this channel. Stay safe....That goes out to all our fellow music lovers.
A few months before his passing, he came to Atlanta and I almost went. It would have been my first and only Tom Petty show. But I thought “Nah, I’m busy, I’ll catch him next time he comes through.” I’ll never not regret that decision.
Saw him in Atlanta around 2000. The entire arena danced during every single song! Loved the energy of that show. He didn't need a light show or pyros...just his music. Lord, I miss him.
Tom was born in my hometown here of Gainesville Florida. The University of Florida Gators are here and if you wanna see incredible - 96K people now sing "I Won't Back Down" at all home games before the 4th quarter. I'll add the link below. I LOVE BEING apart of it. We also hold a birthday party for him each year & invite singers to come sing Tom's songs. His family attends as well. Tom loved Gainesville & we love him!!
When you said you made friends with your bully after you smacked him down, I actually cried a little bit. That's a lovely thing to happen. They are so frightening and infuriating mainly due to their own crappy lives, so that's a great outcome for both of you. Wonderful video on one of the pillars of rock music Tom Petty. :-)
I love some Tom Petty! How many of us (in the comment section) have watched his documentary? He was such a talented singer-songwriter. I love some of the songs that he also performed with other legends in the Traveling Wilburys.
I love knowing that "I won't back down" is played at the Gator games. How can anyone not love Tom Petty. I was diagnos with breast cancer in 2017. This was the song I listen to to keep me going through my treatment. So far so good. ✌️❤️
There was a rock station where I grew up that would play full albums at Midnight. I would set an alarm, hit record and get a decent copy of a lot of classic albums.
I won't back down is a simple, easy, straightforward song. It's a simple and uncomplex message. It's an every-person song that everyone can relate to. That is why it is a great song. No flash, no over the top crashing sounds. Just lyrics, smooth delivery, gliding guitar, steady beats.
Brilliant song from one of the best solo albums by anyone. Never tire of Wont Back Down, or any of the songs from Full Moon Fever. I'm also really glad Jeff Lynne is getting some love, waiting for the Prof to dig into ELO, one of the most successful & innovative acts of the a Rock Era.
My wife and I (both Texas A&M almuni) attended the Texas A&M at Florida football game on October 14, 2017, just 12 days after his passing. When the crowd started singing “I Wont Back Down” for just the 2nd time, it was amazing. We are so glad we were there to experience it. It was an absolute highlight. Thank you for letting us sing along.
I was never a big Tom Petty fan, shame on me, a fate I would later correct, so I learned of his song, I Won't Back Down (I think Tom's best song) through Johnny Cash's version. Whoa! That just blew me away. Then I heard Tom's version, which led me on the road to discovery to the rest of Tom's brilliant catalouge.
what a great story this is. Adam your a wizard . in 1989 i was a young lad tired of working for other people and not having money. so i started a home improvement company but no one i know gave me any encouraging word. in fact it was ,{ dont do it you will fail your family by every one including my own wife } did not have the funds nor the place or support but i had the best weapon of all. Determination . .and as i went ahead this song came out and i tell you it was like Rocket Fuel to me soul. never the less its 2023 and i am very proud to say i made it great for i never Backed Down.. thank you Tom i needed that. love for ever. G
Here’s a memory for you: making a mixtape by recording off the radio. I would make one playlist on one side if a 90m cassette tape every few months, listening to both sides on repeat. I’d overwrite the older side each time.
I hear you dude! I've still got all my mixed tapes from the 80s and 90s in storage in my basement! Maxell XL2, XL2-S, TDK SA and SA-X, and some Denons. Hopefully I'll get around to digitizing them some day as a bunch of them are professional DJ mixed tapes.
Adam, your visceral storytelling ability makes me appreciate the classics that formed the soundtrack to my life even more than I did on my first hearing of them - listening to your episodes feels like a musical rebirth. Thanks bro for reigniting that passion - you've gotten the last laugh on your childhood tormentors.
I've lbeen a long time fan of Tom Petty and I was so heartbroken that I missed his last concert in my home state and found out shortly after that he died. He was one of the best music talents of all time. RIP Tom Petty, we miss you. 💔
that line came from a kid name craig cunningham his dad was a c h p and busted him growing a pot plant on the 4th story patio and his dad beat his ass and so when he told us me and 3 other kids it stuck in my head we did not see craig for about 3 weaks be fore this time but he was so mad that the ol man beat his ass his only retalitation was to say you can stand me up at the gates of hell but i wont back down how i no this is because i wrote the songs 4 albums worth the truth shall be known one day ghost writer
So many amazing memories with my dad introducing me to Tom Petty starting in the early 80s. I have been very lucky to share him with my son, who immediately took to Tom's signature sound. His untimely death hit hard and still rings occasionally. His music got me through tough years in highschool and college and even still to this day! Greatly appreciate the hard work you do provide accurate and detailed information
You’re timing is interesting with this video. This song helped me through a hard time with my health about 12 years ago. I would listen to it on repeat for hours. And for the last three days I’ve been feeling that similar feelings as I did back then. I know a little bit more about what’s going on but I need to remember I only got this far because I didn’t back down. Great song, Great video!
I love Tom petty and I love this song. I know it came out in 89 but it wasn't until the benefit concert after 9/11 that I realized the power of this song. To me it seemed to lift your whole country up.
Another great video. Love your story about the bully. This song resonates with me especially this year. I've had prostate cancer, then they found thyroid cancer, then did heart surgery for blockage and a mass on my spleen. Several times expected to leave hospital in a body bag.5 surgeries, a month total in the hospital. As of mid June, I've been cleared. I've been blessed diffinutly. As Tom Petty sang, "You can stand me up at the gates of hell, But I won't back down"! Thanks for the anthem Tom, RIP
This song reminds me of Tom Petty's battle with his record label years prior. They wanted to raise the price Hard Promises because of the success of the Damn The Torpedoes. Petty wouldn't stand for it and he fought it tooth and nail. Petty won that battle. Gone too soon.
@@sgholt Nah, I don't think so, but there's no way he ever forgot that. It was a big deal. Albums were about $5.99 then, so for his to jump to $8.99 was pure greed. I was blessed to see him on 5 of his tours and the Live Aid show in '85 where I met him and Bob Dylan. They did a tour together. He was a very nice man who made music for a living. A people's Rock star. Very humble. Gone too soon.
Man I keep lucking out and finding these early! Tom is my #1. I still cry about losing him. My friend had bought tickets so we could see him, but she accidentally got em for North Carolina instead of Chicago lmao. So we saw Styx and Foreigner instead!
The first album I bought was in 1982 - it was the Heartbreakers Long After Dark. I was 11. I had to play it on my older brother's record player. I still have that same album and i am now pushing 50. I saw tom petty in Portland on his last tour a few years ago. Rock on, brother. Thank you. I, too, was born a Rebel.
I've lived by this song since I first heard it on the radio. Years of being bullied in school, being discriminated against, being mistreated and ripped off as an adult, and now dealing with terminal cancer, none of it has stopped me from doing what I need to get by. Not bad people, not bureaucracy, not pain, nothing will stop me until I stop breathing. That's the inspiration Tom Petty gave me with this song. Bless him, wherever he might be.
Full Moon Fever and The Traveling Wilburys were my intro to Tom Petty. Such a great writer who created so many great songs. And there's nothing wrong with a song being simple. Sometimes that's all you need and it's all people want.
Thank you for being so vulnerable. I have a similar story but 2 boys literally pushing me around in the hallways. I was pushed to the ground & had my front tooth broken. After having it fixed a couple months later one of the 2 boys pushed my head into my books that I was holding in my arms up near my chest. After this, this song was played, I sang it to the 2 guys & never had an issue again. I guess I sang it with a fierce voice. There's several Tom Petty songs that I listen to over & over.
The stories about Tom Petty and his fans are legendary, even Jon Bon Jovi has confessed running to him after a show and telling him how he inspired him to write his songs. What a legend.
Petty was a one of a kind. He was like all the great ones. When you heard him, you knew who it was. That's special. And that's missing these days. I had the feeling that Tom couldn't have been different even if he had wanted to. Also, Campbell wasn't too thrilled with a Tom Petty solo album. Eventually, though, he got on board.
Great stories about an artist badly missed. Pandemic isolation is kicking my ass. Took a year but it's getting rough. This is a good time to sing along to I Won't Back Down. Thanks.
This was, and still is my go to song when I need to remind myself that I won't back down. My first husband passed away from brain cancer in 2005. Our kids were 12 and 9. This is the song that got me through my bad days when I just wanted to give up. I will always be grateful to Tom Petty for helping me through my darkest days
I remember full moon fever. As change goes this album was tom all the way. That quality revealed itself more and more each time I played it. The songs now are just as solid as the earth I live on. I miss tom petty a true grounded soul. Thanks for the enlightenment about a legend and his music.
Last year, The Drive (Chicago) played "I Won't Back Down" on a Friday night during the lockdown to honor those who are/were fighting to end this pandemic; firefighters, hospital workers, etc.
Tom Petty!!! I have always loved him! I had the pleasure of seeing him four times. The first time was in 1982. He and the Heartbreaker's music were a huge part of my life! I still listen to it all the time!
I was going through a pretty devastating marriage breakup, it was an all time low, This song woke me in my dream at one am one night just flowing through my head. I actually had forgotten it existed and had to google who had sung the song. It lifted me out of a dark place when I needed it most and I never looked back. Cheers
I was more sadden by Tom Petty’s death more than I was when David Bowie died, I thought maybe it was because we both came from working class upbringings and a lot of his music was influential to me.
Awesome tribute! “I Won’t Back Down” has been my favorite song for many years and besides being the song I’ve sung with bands when asked to join them on stage, it has spoken to my heart a message of resolve that has sustained and inspired me through heart ache, unfair treatment and the darkest struggles of life. As a Believer in Christ, I know the gates of hell are real and “I won’t back down” has become a montra that is a part of my resolve in life. Love Tom Petty, love this song, thoroughly enjoyed your take on it. Let’s keep on rockin and keep on rollin forward in life, love, faith and hope - no matter what😎👍
I miss Lucky. When I told a buddy I'd been more effected by Tom's death than my own father's, I got called a sociopath. My response? You know Tom Petty, but you didn't know my father.
When I was diagnosed with MS it became my fight song… then my husband started having heart issues the same day Tom passed…. This song was playing once again on the way to the hospital on the radio… it’s like it’s our song…. but it’s Petty and there’s not one bad song…. He is missed so much by his Petty Nation fans. And he’s missed by me because his music has always carried me through life…. Full Moon Fever cassette was played so much I had to buy another one….
"I Won't Back Down" was also covered by Jason Aldean on "Saturday Night Live", as a tribute to both Petty and the victims of the Route 91 country music festival shooting in Las Vegas in October 2017. (I love your T-shirt!!)
Tom was as genuine as one can get..."I won't back down" was my personal anthem to rise above. I can't say enough how much I loved TP. I am so grateful I pressed that "buy" button for front row tickets to TP's 40th anniversary tour concert which would sadly be his last one in Boston. Thank you so very much professor for this amazing tribute to one amazing musician/songwriter.
I loved Full Moon Fever... not a ton of albums I really just listened to start to finish, but this was one of them, which is sort of amazing because this really wasn't my preferred genre -- it was just good music. (The Colour and the Shape, Hysteria and Master of Puppets are the only others I can think of off the top of my head.)
I absolutely love your SHOW!!!! I call it a show because it should be on tv. Your dialogue and passion is fixating and a welcomed breath of fresh air. You truly tap in to memories from my musical past. PLEASE keep on keepin on. Three chords and the truth. Be safe and god bless.
"I Won't Back Down" came out in 1989, a great year for other rock legends as well, including Stevie Nicks ("Rooms On Fire"), John Mellencamp ("Pop Singer"), and The Doobie Brothers ("The Doctor").
![[UA] NAVI проти G2 Esports | Blast Premier Fall Final](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QWlIm4FGESQ/mqdefault.jpg)
The greatest song of Tom Petty's career is?
Learning to fly or don't back down & don't come round here
That answer changes with me, almost daily. One day, American Girl, another day, Honey Bee, another day, Rebels, and on and on.
Oh, man...
Why bother trying to decide?!
Each song he recorded was great! I really love Tom Petty's music, both with or without the Heartbreakers.
His collaborations with Stevie Nicks and his Traveling Wilburys work is all great, too.
I think it might be “The Last DJ”
I don't know. Am I driving a car... at night or during the day? Am I relaxing? working, ETC? I am no good at definitive musical choices without context. Breakdown and You got lucky(the sci-fi video roped me in), are probably my top two. My smile is always the deepest when they come on. You know, the smile that tingles your soul.
This is my ringtone since being diagnosed with cancer and I am just about to get my all clear from a 20% chance of survival
Wow good luck to you. Super
❤❤❤
Great news! No one really knows how much time they have left. Even if a doctor gives an estimated amount of time someone has, it's still a guess. It's not as if we have an expiration date stamped on us somewhere. I'm fighting my third battle with beast called cancer. This one is the worst by far.
Good luck to you.
Kick ass
In the vid you're asking about "Won't Back Down" and what the song means to me. Here's my story; in 1988 I had (still have) a beautiful daughter. She was almost 3 at the time Full Moon Fever was out. I was married to one of the meanest SOB's that ever crossed my path. I now refer to him as "Lucifer in disguise". I was about to be 23, young, naive about a lot of things, in an extremely abusive relationship and was emotionally, physically & literally beaten down because of this person. Anyone who has ever been in an abusive relationship can tell you, it comes to a point of fear. You're scared to leave, scared to stand up for yourself and basically you just cower in the corner like a whipped pup. After hearing Won't Back Down on the radio, I bought Full Moon Fever on cassette. I listened to that song over & over. It gave me courage & strength to stand up for myself and protect MY child from his evilness. I did not leave. I stood up to him and told him to GET OUT!! I am 58 now and have never tolerated being mistreated by anyone ever again. Don't start no shit - but I damn sure ain't gonna take no shit off anyone! Tom Petty helped give me the courage I needed to rid myself of a situation that could have ended my life.
Sorry you went through that !! Sounds like you were married to a number 1 narcissist !!
Knowing you're caught in a hurricane, and figuring out how to break free from it, are two very different thngs. You're smart enough to be afraid. But, the fear itself becomes a part of your prison.
They don't call it, 'being petrified' for nothing. You may just freeze.
I hope referring to song lyrics isn't a problem. For me, it's the opposite of taking something lightly. It's just how I think.
In her song 'Birmingham', Amanda Marshall sets the stage at the outset:
"Virgil Spencer's got a 19-inch Hitachi
And many demons lingering
Friday night, he pulled a gun to change the channel
Something that he picked up from the king
His wife remembers well the man she knew
Seems the dreams she had have all turned black and blue".
Is "the king" in this instance Elvis? I didn't try to find the answer.
But, a guy who puts a bullet through the TV screen to change the channel probably isn't anyone to mess with. You may find yourself choosing every word and action around him very carefully.
The fight or flight decision couldn't be more important. But, choosing the right one may be very hard. It can be harder if you start adding others to the equation, like your children.
In 'Blown Away', Carrie Underwood describes a different kind of fear and abuse.
Her father is apparently a drunk. With her mother dead and gone, sanity and peace have left the premises. It was bad enough that when she realizes a tornado in Oklahoma's tornado alley is approaching, she doesn't pray for deliverance. She prays the tornado levels the place--even if it takes her with him.
(I'm searching for a 3rd song I really like. I'll add it if I can find it).
I'm glad that you found your way to safety for you and yours.
Romantic relationships can be complicated. Everyone probably does something strange from time to time. We try to weigh: how strange, and how often?
Did they scream out the front door? Or, did they scream at you 6 inches from your face? Something in between?
Those are just a few examples.
If everyone split up due to hard times, nobody would get and stay married. On the other hand, sometimes the tell-tale cracks in the structure around you force your hand.
I'm not suggesting we should handle it like Jennifer Lopez, in the film, "Enough". But, you obviously knew it was time to act decisively.
I wish as good an outcome to everyone who faces some of life's hardest situations and decisions.
And, yes, if you didn't guess, I've faced some of those, too.
(Officially off of my soapbox now). Thanks
I was lucky enough to be at his final show ever - September 25, 2017 at the Hollywood Bowl. He died days later on October 2, 2017 (not Oct 3). His death still hurts my soul.
I heard the incorrect date of his passing also. It was the day BEFORE my birthday and I will never forget the tears I shed when I heard the news.
I was at the September 21st show, which I am forever grateful for seeing him the first and only time. With a good friend of mine, we had a magical night.
😔Mine as well
Jeff Lynne is one of the most underrated writer/performer/producer geniuses of all time. Shame that so few even know who he is, much less about his influence on popular music. Lynne and Georgio Moroder shaped the sound of so much modern music. Literal unsung heroes. 🙂🤘
Jeff Lynne is the reason we got The Traveling Wilburys. Now, that was a supergroup.
@@5roundsrapid263 he’s also responsible for the two new songs on the Beatles anthology in 1995
Jeff Lynne underrated and rarely known? One can't identify with Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) without knowing who Jeff Lynne is. His objective statement was, "Electric Light Orchestra will pick up where the Beatles left off." with their own unique identity and did not disappoint. Jeff Lynne continued on as a top producer, engineer, songwriter, and guest musician and backing vocalist for many artists and bands in multiple genres. He is upper echelon in the music industry.
@@markburrows1179 - Kids today don't know how great our rock stars were and we didn't know our parents, it is the journey of getting old.
@@pookiepookie8669 And for that reason, they find such information and acknowledgement from informative sites such as this one and through the comments of us old timers. Yes, I also realize that not even people, such as I, who have lived through the epic years of the Rock genre which has been infused with Folk, Blues, Soul, R&B, Country, Bluegrass, Jazz, Classical, Reggae, Skiffle among others, and then it birthed other genres of said Rock such as Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock, Heavy Metal and other forms of Metal and all sorts of cross genre music that was groundbreaking. It is one of the very few things where it is actually better to go backwards than live in the moment of where music is today. Music today has no control or context. As bad as it sounds, things were actually better when there were only a handful of major record labels because artists had to be outstanding to be a mainstay and make an impression. What do we have today? Hundreds of thousands of independent labels that no one recognizes, and artists who can write, compose and produce music on a laptop computer with the right software and equipment. Hell, I can even do it, but I simply wouldn't, I just don't want to. I can write lyrics. Yet I can't read or write music. But I don't have to, just experiment with some random chords until it sounds good and put them into an arrangement and synthesized instrumentals, use Vocal Magic Pro software, and do all sorts of overdubs, the add special effects. Ta Da. It was fun, but so was playing pinball back in the day. I wasn't going to make a career out of it.
I am much like the Professor of Rock, I am a musicologist, but I have been at it since I was 11, and although it is not a profession, it is a hobby does not mean I am not dead serious about it. I am because I have been at it for 55 years. I know stuff and have met people, and it started as being a journalist at a school paper, and then being asked to be a ghost writer for Georgia Straight in Vancouver. A ghost writer, writes articles which go under an established column pseudonym, otherwise there are a number or writers submitting articles. Then it spread to a variety of other underground newspapers such as The Rag, San Francisco Express Times, The Great Speckled Bird, and then the higher profile magazine style music rags such as Creem, Blues Unlimited, Crawdaddy, and Circus. They all wanted ghost writers, and I didn't want my own name out there at such a tender age. Who would take such a young teenager seriously? I never submitted to Rolling Stone magazine, simply because they were far too commercial and "plastic" which is the word we used back then. Elastic was cool, plastic was not cool.
I did not make it to Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, although at the age of 12, I fully intended to go, but got derailed by other things, but at the age of 14, the summer of 1969, I headed out east to upstate New York for Woodstock, I turned 15 during my journey since my birthday is in July. I had recently read John Steinbeck's travelogue book, "Travels With Charley: In Search of America" and it inspired me to travel North America, Mexico, Cuba and some of the Caribbean Islands. You see, I skipped a couple of grades, and graduated high school at the age of 14 with an armload of full ride scholarships. I suffered all kinds of indignities being a gifted child, and had sacrificed a great deal of my childhood because I was different, and therefore ostracized constantly. So, I decided to take a few years to myself before I entered my first university. Thank you John Steinbeck. I met a lot of amazing folk, and I get along with people easily, so my major in Psychology was well warranted. Woodstock was and eye opener. It was also a transition era, it was the end of the peace, love, and unbridled sex era, (although a lot of that still kicked about) to more of an era of getting down to business and being more creative. The 70s started to be more of an album rock era, and also power bands were moving into arenas and thus the era or Arena Rock. Outdoor events started to dwindle, although they still exist, they are not near as popular as selling out an arena for three nights in a row. Plus Arenas have far better sound systems or they can be set up by the artist's technicians better. I remember getting nose bleed seats for a Pink Floyd concert, thinking I would be disappointed sitting in the rafters. I was not, they had this massive screen up high that showed the stage better than sitting in the front row, they had speakers set up in the upper tiers above the seating area and they were not just surround sound, each speaker was a distinct channel controlled by an engineer, and audio just whipped around our heads and blew our minds. Not to mention the floating devices which were remotely operated, and I came almost nose to nose with a giant floating pig. Of course I was high, more ways than one.
I miss Tom so much. I'm not going to lie, I got choked up several times during your thoughtful tribute to him. He and Jeff Lynn are two of my most important heroes. Thank you so much for sharing your passion for music and articulating it so well, it definately matters....it means alot. Peace brother.
I like that Tom kept his tone cool and *even* while singing most of the lines.
He wasn't screaming it or yelling it.
He's stating it as a simple fact.
He is one of the few singers that you can hear every lyric.
My all time favorite Petty song. The best line in the song is you can stand me up at the gates of hell but I won't back down. Yes! classic
Mine too.
"Somewhere, somehow, somebody must've kicked you around some..." That line from his first hit carried a theme all the way to his last hit. We are all survivors.
I loved the interview he had years later about the fire destroying all their clothes and the people that donated new ones for them. He said he still had the shirts and still wore them, the man was truly humbled by the kindness of the donations.
Tom Petty, one of the greatest American Hall Of Fame songwriters. 🤘🤘🤘
You've got that 100% right!
yo i wrote all those songs for the band i am the one
An anthem for anyone who's ever been bullied. Love this song!
“The Waiting” was always my favorite , remember hearing it for first time in 1981.
Without reservation I can say that song is one the best of all time at capturing the intense feelings of falling in love.
Tom simply knew. Whatever it was that you were going through, Tom knew and and was able to convey those feelings and emotions in a way that made me feel like I wasn't alone in the way I felt about my own life.
Tom knew. He just knew...
Legendary legend I was lucky enough to have seen in concert.
Tom Petty helped me through some difficult years and I was out of sorts when he passed. Put him up there with Janis, Bonham, Lennon, and Jimi. RIP.
The song Alright For Now still gets me through rough times and is so calming
I seriously regret not going to see Tom when he was on tour with Steve Winwood. Huge mistake🤦🏻♂️
Hey what about Freddie, Harrison, Morrison, Moon and EVH
And let's not forget about who started it all Elvis Presley
@@smitsonavane6278 I named musicians that affected me personally. but in hindsight, I should have listed Freddie as his range is equal to opera singers.
Great story about after the fire he and his family had but the clothes on their backs and his nearby neighbor Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics had her assistant go out and buy $3,000.00 worth of clothes for him and his family. Tom was beyond moved. It’s in his biography and he touched on it in his documentary Running down a dream on his career with the heartbreakers.
Full Moon Fever was the first album I purchased with my own money. I was 10 years old. I can still remember removing the plastic wrapping and breathing in the new cassette tape aroma. Man, that smell always instantly transports you back.
Was the full moon fever album cover a
copy of the blues brother poster?
It’s in my top ten albums of all time (for me at least!)
You bought a cassette in 1989??
@DogMan - I had complete Beatles on CD in 1988. Are CDs still worth anything? Are the original 1986 releases worth more?
@DogMan - Thanks. I just got 500 classical CDs (many original 1986 discs). All totally mint. Is it worth selling as a collection? Or by artist? I prefer auction versus fixed price.
Doesn’t it feel like he was each and everyone of us friend? He is the only songwriter and performer that I mourned over. I still cry remembering this truly gifted artist! I can honestly say that I did love him!
Yes !!! He was a friend to us, I've always felt that way about him, but not any other...and I still cry too, especially when I watch the "Pack Up the Plantation" tour....
2017 was rough at the end...first Tom, then Malcolm Young we lost in November....I feel I didn't get to grieve Malcolm properly because I was still so devastated after having lost Tom...needless to say, I still shed tears over both of them pretty much almost every day. Don't think I'll ever get over that loss.
ABSOLUTELY..4 Sure. Tommy wz Almost LIKE Jesus 4 Me..as Wz George in Example-- Tommy becuz He had Felt that samevPain. I Miss him So Much. God' s Love & Mercy upon him Always.
I have a vision of Tom, Roy and George up in heaven, sitting around playing guitar and harmonizing together. Heavenly Wibury's indeed.
Saying “What the hell! Bob is taking his sweet ass time.”
There are _three_ rocking chairs with spotlighted guitars on them, on a train somewhere.
What an image. I see it too, the amazing music they made together..
And THAT is why it is heaven.
I have a question: Are the best bans in Heaven or are they in Hell? :)
This came out when I was in the middle of learning to give care, as my dad was terminal.
This became my anthem-my fight song, as it were-to have the strength to keep it together, until he passed.
Tom Petty’s whole portfolio inspires me. Play what makes you happy, Play it like you want. Rock On Tom, you will always live in your music.
The more I learn about Tom Petty the more he moves me. He was & is such a kind, sweet, beautiful soul and I will always be grateful for the musical legacy he left for us all.
Tom Petty Has been my favorite artist since 1982. I have seen him in concert 23 times. His music is the soundtrack of my youth.
hat edie i saw you dancing all alone i heard you singing to no one i am the ghost writer for tom it belongs to me
I was blessed enough to have seen Tom Petty in concert. What a spectacular show!
The smell of weed and the sweet music filling the air. Those memories will stay with me forever.
One of my favorite shows! Got a contact high. 🤣
My all time favorite artist. I saw him 13 times....The last being his final tour. I almost didn't go because i was having a little financial issues at the time, but was able to swing it anyway. I'm so happy I did now that I know i'll never get the chance again.
My all time favorite artist. He knew how to write a song and he knew how to hook me on his music for a lifetime.
He was a special musician.
Tom was a great songwriter. I always admire someone who can turn a phrase like he could... and confess to a bit of jealousy, as well! LOL!
I'm sure there will be many comments about standing up to bullies so mine won't be original but I'm sure it's different. I grew up in a time when bullying was not treated the way it is today. Being small (I didn't hit 100 lbs until 8th grade) and being from 1 of the poorest families in town made me a natural target of bullys. I was a huge Petty fan. I had all his albums courtesy of the BMG music club and Columbia House from the TV guide. Who didn't send in the card with a penny taped to it for 12 CDs? I even had accounts in my grandmother's name. At the start of 7th grade I was unlucky enough to be placed in class with the school bully who was older because he had failed 2 grades. He hated me and picked on me (much like your situation) always in front of girls. One day I felt really bad about letting him getting away with it. I drown my sorrows in my bedroom with my CDs ashamed to even tell anyone how I felt. Pettys Full Moon Fever was of course part of that. I decided that night I wasn't gonna let him pick on me anymore. The next day he started making fun of my clothes, calling me a clown and in class he hit me in the side of the face with huge spit ball. I told him he wrong if he thought he'd get away with that 1. He of course told me he would kick my ass and I don't know where what I said came from but it would serve me well the rest of my school years. I told him "you might kick my ass but from now on when you mess with me, you're gonna have to do it". I got up and went to sharpen my pencil. On the way back to my seat, I wound up and swung as hard as I could. He didn't even see it coming. He was sitting down. It was really a sucker punch. It landed sqaure on his nose. Immediately blood started pouring and his eyes teared up. It was worth the 5 days I spent in detention. I told school admins I was done getting picked on. I'd love to say that was the last time I was bullied but it was not. It did however drastically reduce it. From there on anyone who bullied me would have to fight me and I was not playing fair and I would always tell them "you may kick my ass but I don't back down, you're gonna have it to do". Because many of the bullys knew they would have to kick my ass if they bothered me, they left me one if favor of easier targets. I did stand up for those easier targets as well. I don't know how many times I told bullys that so and so may not fight you but I will, leave them alone! You may kick my ass, but if you keep it up you're gonna that to do. I don't back down. Thanks Tom Petty.
dam dude hear me now the reason for the words was really about a car accident in the mtns 4 wheeling why i no this is simple cause i wrote these songs yes and i will tell anyone and everyone you see i wont back down i could tell the whole story but it would take about a week one day i will release the whole story and yea i always was getting picked on to yea well i no nobody believes me sometimes it makes me laugh it is crazy right but true hear the song it was to good to be true well it s not how about she wrote a long letter on a short piece of paper or the words paper in the wind i dont want fame and i dont want fortune the only thing i want is the truth and here is a little for you the only thing a person has is truth and if you dont have that you have nothing signed the ghost writer
@chi sam bit of a shitty thing to say and you edited your comment. Did you not get it right the first time?
@@cavscout7113 I think they feel a bit attacked, what's the odds on that comment being written by a bully...who's standing up for BULLIES.
@@terrencegonzales2183 thats what your going with?
@@shilohstore6086 i am the one the only one that can say that and yea and that will always be cant change the fact so i said think of me what you will i got a little time to kill just rember love is a long long road !!!!!
Tom Petty was the best. My favorite two concerts in my 48 years on earth are the two Tom Petty concerts I attended. I can’t believe we’re coming up on 5 years since we lost him. A humble genius.
There are rightfully lots of comments about how great Tom Petty and his music are, but I jst wanted to point out how this video captures everything that's so great about the Professor's videos. It has it all. Love of the subject matter, tons of info on the song and Petty's life and even a remarkably poignant and powerful personal story from the Prof's life. Superb job, Adam.
We are so lucky to have you. Thank you for adding to our quality of life with these amazing vids.
Right back at you! One of our favorite viewers right here! Thank you for all you. Peace and health to you my friend.
Well said! The Professor always strikes the right tone, it's so clear that he loves what he does. He does a great job of it too :)
@@ProfessorofRock You are too kind and humble. Maybe one day you can share with us how you got this channel going? How you manage to get the interviews? How you do research, etc? Unless that's all a trade secret. I'm sure everyone would like to know more about you, beyond your music relationship with your Dad, which you talk about sometimes. Jst a thought.
Yes-- 4 Sure..He brings IDEAL Elements t the Table 4 ALL of Us. MUCH Appreciated by BOTH.. The Musicians he Shares & t Fans he further Informs. Is a Perfect Compliment. God Bless Prof of Rock TOO Much!
I agree. I fall in love with my songs all over again.
I remember buying Full Moon Fever when I was stationed overseas, without ever hearing any previous air play. At first listen, I knew it was a special album. That was back in 1989 and shortly after, my first marriage fell apart and "I Won't Back Down" became a sort of anthem for me. It also gave me the courage to keep moving forward with my life and not succumb to the suicidal thoughts that were running through my mind. Thank God for Tom Petty, may he rest in peace.
Back in the day, and going through a similar situarion mine was "Time for me to fly." Lol
In the past 8 years I've had 3 go-rounds with cancer and 3 strokes, the last of which was an adult-strength job that left me unable to pick up a spoon to feed myself (I'm a lefty). Through it all, I have considered myself to be adequately recovered when I can go out in front of an audience and play and sing a full-bore F$%k You solo rendition of Won't Back Down.
I love this! Thank you for sharing.
hey tom well i hope you do it and blast them out of park here one day i was playing my bass at home and had the amp turned up as loud as it would go and a strange thing happened from across the canyon i heard a guitar play and so i would play some licks and pause and all of a sudden i heard a guitar play in response to me and so this went on for about an hour and so i would always rember this and one day write about it and one day i got my chance to be the ghost writer for the heartbreakers i am the one
Hell yeah, Man. Keep Swingin
That’s great! I hope you have fully recovered
As a teenager in 1978 I purchased You're Gonna Get It & was amazed by the 30 minutes of power pop magic. Musically , Tom never backed down. The Heartbreakers are one of the best backing bands ever. Tom was a genius.
My favorite song by one of my favorite Rock musicians. I MISS what he would have done, had he not left us far too soon. This song has, in some ways, epitomized my life. It's a theme, and anthem, and an inspiration. As holy as a hymn to me. Thanks for ALL the details and background! It means even more now!
You just did it. You out "did" yourself. It's impossible not to like your work and admire every once of effort you put into this channel.
I have no problem admitting that when I saw that stadium full of fellow " human beings " sing that song, I burst out in tears.
Just so you know...Your work is impeccable and so is this channel. Stay safe....That goes out to all our fellow music lovers.
Roger that
A few months before his passing, he came to Atlanta and I almost went. It would have been my first and only Tom Petty show. But I thought “Nah, I’m busy, I’ll catch him next time he comes through.” I’ll never not regret that decision.
HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU BE TOO BUSY TO SEE PETTY IN CONCERT!!!!!
Saw him in Atlanta around 2000. The entire arena danced during every single song! Loved the energy of that show. He didn't need a light show or pyros...just his music. Lord, I miss him.
The football arena crowd singing 'I Won't Back Down" gives me chills.
Way back in the before time, my brother and I went to see Tom Petty with Steve Winwood as his opening act. Such a great song full of Tom Petty magic
Steve Winwood. Another legend.
@@ProfessorofRock absolutely. it was a great show
I saw that show. I've seen Petty twice and the tour when Winwood opened for him was one of them.
Very few musician's deaths rocked me like Tom Petty. I loved his music so much, especially the Wildflowers album.
Same. It was horrible. Still hurts.
Yep.. as someone said about a media personality who died, "I didn't know him, but I still felt like he was my friend."
Wildflowers is a fantastic album.
Tom petty and prince. Those two cut deep. I don’t know why - put me in a funk.
@@Galworld761 Prince was a very hard one. I listen to the Purple Rain album frequently.
I saw Tom petty 2 months before he passed away. It was the BEST sing along concert I ever went to.
Every..single..song. That's how it was when I saw him. Incredible energy in the entire arena.
Tom was born in my hometown here of Gainesville Florida. The University of Florida Gators are here and if you wanna see incredible - 96K people now sing "I Won't Back Down" at all home games before the 4th quarter. I'll add the link below. I LOVE BEING apart of it.
We also hold a birthday party for him each year & invite singers to come sing Tom's songs. His family attends as well. Tom loved Gainesville & we love him!!
One video has a million views - couldn't find it - but this one is pretty good.
Clearly you and the whole town are proud of Tom, and rightly so :)
Ocala, resident here. Love Tom Petty.
@@sabrinapittsley2304 Hi Neighbor! 👋 You know what Tom means to us! 🧡🐊💙 Always nice to meet other Floridians! 🌴⛱🌊🏄♀️
When you said you made friends with your bully after you smacked him down, I actually cried a little bit. That's a lovely thing to happen. They are so frightening and infuriating mainly due to their own crappy lives, so that's a great outcome for both of you. Wonderful video on one of the pillars of rock music Tom Petty. :-)
I still remember his first performance on SNL. Great talent.
I love some Tom Petty! How many of us (in the comment section) have watched his documentary? He was such a talented singer-songwriter. I love some of the songs that he also performed with other legends in the Traveling Wilburys.
Where can I see the Tom Petty documentary? I love Free Falling. I often tell Alexa to play Tom Petty songs.
@@doloreshamilton6475 I bought it. But I think you can check it out on Netflix too. I just looked it up. Have fun watching it.
@@FatherAndTeacherTV Thanks so much. I will.
The best. Watched it a while back. Made me love him all the more.
@@doloreshamilton6475 You're welcome!
I’m so glad I saw him in concert! 🎸❤️
I love knowing that
"I won't back down" is played at the Gator games. How can anyone not love Tom Petty.
I was diagnos with breast cancer in 2017. This was the song I listen to to keep me going through my treatment. So far so good. ✌️❤️
If you listened to the radio all day hoping to record that one song for your mix tape, then this is the channel for you!
Been there, done that!
My song was BLACK SUNSHINE... I guess I was only 7 or 8 but that song gave me energy I didn't know existed yet
There was a rock station where I grew up that would play full albums at Midnight. I would set an alarm, hit record and get a decent copy of a lot of classic albums.
I won't back down is a simple, easy, straightforward song. It's a simple and uncomplex message. It's an every-person song that everyone can relate to.
That is why it is a great song. No flash, no over the top crashing sounds. Just lyrics, smooth delivery, gliding guitar, steady beats.
Brilliant song from one of the best solo albums by anyone. Never tire of Wont Back Down, or any of the songs from Full Moon Fever. I'm also really glad Jeff Lynne is getting some love, waiting for the Prof to dig into ELO, one of the most successful & innovative acts of the a Rock Era.
Yes! 😀
My wife and I (both Texas A&M almuni) attended the Texas A&M at Florida football game on October 14, 2017, just 12 days after his passing. When the crowd started singing “I Wont Back Down” for just the 2nd time, it was amazing. We are so glad we were there to experience it. It was an absolute highlight. Thank you for letting us sing along.
I was never a big Tom Petty fan, shame on me, a fate I would later correct, so I learned of his song, I Won't Back Down (I think Tom's best song) through Johnny Cash's version. Whoa! That just blew me away. Then I heard Tom's version, which led me on the road to discovery to the rest of Tom's brilliant catalouge.
Johnny Cash would only cover the best of the best. Thank you for commenting.
I like that cover. Tom can be heard on the background vocals. 👍
@@SD9Driver Yes!
what a great story this is. Adam your a wizard . in 1989 i was a young lad tired of working for other people and not having money. so i started a home improvement company but no one i know gave me any encouraging word. in fact it was ,{ dont do it you will fail your family by every one including my own wife } did not have the funds nor the place or support but i had the best weapon of all. Determination . .and as i went ahead this song came out and i tell you it was like Rocket Fuel to me soul. never the less its 2023 and i am very proud to say i made it great for i never Backed Down.. thank you Tom i needed that. love for ever. G
Here’s a memory for you: making a mixtape by recording off the radio. I would make one playlist on one side if a 90m cassette tape every few months, listening to both sides on repeat. I’d overwrite the older side each time.
Ahh, cassettes and recording from the radio which was always on. I felt in control of my music at the age of 12.
I hear you dude! I've still got all my mixed tapes from the 80s and 90s in storage in my basement! Maxell XL2, XL2-S, TDK SA and SA-X, and some Denons. Hopefully I'll get around to digitizing them some day as a bunch of them are professional DJ mixed tapes.
This song is my mantra whenever things get tough.
Jeff Lynne really helped Tom Petty solo album blow up with his songs. I loved that album, it should have won best album in 89!!
One of my favorite backing vocal and harmony arrangements.
Tom Petty + I Wont Back Down = National Treasure
Couldn't agree more. Thanks for watching.
This song has and will always be my anthem anytime I've had to stand up for myself. The lyrics give me strength. God bless Tom Petty. 🙏
Thanks so much for sharing this "bully" story... LOVED IT! For all of us who have been the victims of bullies, I salute you :D
Adam, your visceral storytelling ability makes me appreciate the classics that formed the soundtrack to my life even more than I did on my first hearing of them - listening to your episodes feels like a musical rebirth. Thanks bro for reigniting that passion - you've gotten the last laugh on your childhood tormentors.
I've lbeen a long time fan of Tom Petty and I was so heartbroken that I missed his last concert in my home state and found out shortly after that he died. He was one of the best music talents of all time. RIP Tom Petty, we miss you. 💔
My husband's favorite singer and our favorite song. It's our 23rd anniversary and we've stood our ground against everything.
My pastor calls Tom Petty a great theologist for this song and it's "stand me up at the gates of Hell" line.
that line came from a kid name craig cunningham his dad was a c h p and busted him growing a pot plant on the 4th story patio and his dad beat his ass and so when he told us me and 3 other kids it stuck in my head we did not see craig for about 3 weaks be fore this time but he was so mad that the ol man beat his ass his only retalitation was to say you can stand me up at the gates of hell but i wont back down how i no this is because i wrote the songs 4 albums worth the truth shall be known one day ghost writer
So many amazing memories with my dad introducing me to Tom Petty starting in the early 80s. I have been very lucky to share him with my son, who immediately took to Tom's signature sound. His untimely death hit hard and still rings occasionally. His music got me through tough years in highschool and college and even still to this day! Greatly appreciate the hard work you do provide accurate and detailed information
You’re timing is interesting with this video. This song helped me through a hard time with my health about 12 years ago. I would listen to it on repeat for hours. And for the last three days I’ve been feeling that similar feelings as I did back then. I know a little bit more about what’s going on but I need to remember I only got this far because I didn’t back down. Great song, Great video!
Tom Petty could write a song about a single emotion, capture it perfectly and put it with a tune that magnified it. Special kind of genius.
I love Tom petty and I love this song. I know it came out in 89 but it wasn't until the benefit concert after 9/11 that I realized the power of this song. To me it seemed to lift your whole country up.
Another great video. Love your story about the bully. This song resonates with me especially this year. I've had prostate cancer, then they found thyroid cancer, then did heart surgery for blockage and a mass on my spleen. Several times expected to leave hospital in a body bag.5 surgeries, a month total in the hospital. As of mid June, I've been cleared. I've been blessed diffinutly. As Tom Petty sang, "You can stand me up at the gates of hell, But I won't back down"! Thanks for the anthem Tom, RIP
This song reminds me of Tom Petty's battle with his record label years prior. They wanted to raise the price Hard Promises because of the success of the Damn The Torpedoes. Petty wouldn't stand for it and he fought it tooth and nail. Petty won that battle. Gone too soon.
Agreed. I remember that story and I appreciate you sharing it.
Petty apparently threatened to name the album $8.99
@@sgholt Nah, I don't think so, but there's no way he ever forgot that. It was a big deal. Albums were about $5.99 then, so for his to jump to $8.99 was pure greed. I was blessed to see him on 5 of his tours and the Live Aid show in '85 where I met him and Bob Dylan. They did a tour together. He was a very nice man who made music for a living. A people's Rock star. Very humble. Gone too soon.
yes, I had heard he thought some goons from that label had burnt his house down after he had found a loophole in his contract and left the label.
The $8.98 lp price law suit?
One thing that Tom Petty had in his favor...he had a wealth of what the old southerners called Gumption !
Summer of '89 - the summer of Full Moon Fever. Great times. 👍
Man I keep lucking out and finding these early! Tom is my #1. I still cry about losing him.
My friend had bought tickets so we could see him, but she accidentally got em for North Carolina instead of Chicago lmao. So we saw Styx and Foreigner instead!
Oh man. Well at least you got to see a good concert instead of nothing.
I couldn't agree more that Petty's straightforward lyrics and vocals are/were identifiable and unique.
The first album I bought was in 1982 - it was the Heartbreakers Long After Dark. I was 11. I had to play it on my older brother's record player. I still have that same album and i am now pushing 50. I saw tom petty in Portland on his last tour a few years ago. Rock on, brother. Thank you. I, too, was born a Rebel.
Tom Petty was my first concert at 3 years old, and will always be an important part of my life.
Thanks for all the jams, Tom.
Petty was THE MAN. No bigger pair of stones in the business.
I've lived by this song since I first heard it on the radio. Years of being bullied in school, being discriminated against, being mistreated and ripped off as an adult, and now dealing with terminal cancer, none of it has stopped me from doing what I need to get by. Not bad people, not bureaucracy, not pain, nothing will stop me until I stop breathing. That's the inspiration Tom Petty gave me with this song. Bless him, wherever he might be.
Full Moon Fever and The Traveling Wilburys were my intro to Tom Petty. Such a great writer who created so many great songs. And there's nothing wrong with a song being simple. Sometimes that's all you need and it's all people want.
Traveling Wilburys were so incredible. Best supergroup ever in my opinion.
@@ProfessorofRock Agreed. You can't get a better line up.
Feels like this song was written and played just yesterday..truly epic. Tom!
Thank you for being so vulnerable.
I have a similar story but 2 boys literally pushing me around in the hallways. I was pushed to the ground & had my front tooth broken. After having it fixed a couple months later one of the 2 boys pushed my head into my books that I was holding in my arms up near my chest.
After this, this song was played, I sang it to the 2 guys & never had an issue again. I guess I sang it with a fierce voice.
There's several Tom Petty songs that I listen to over & over.
Oh wow! Very cool story!
I can never hear "I Won't Back Down" the same way after I heard him sing it in the Tribute for Heroes benefit for 9-11 survivors. Totally moving.
The stories about Tom Petty and his fans are legendary, even Jon Bon Jovi has confessed running to him after a show and telling him how he inspired him to write his songs. What a legend.
Legend with a capital L.
This reminds me of my dad, he'd always play this and many more classics. Now that he's gone It hits different.
Petty was a one of a kind. He was like all the great ones. When you heard him, you knew who it was. That's special. And that's missing these days. I had the feeling that Tom couldn't have been different even if he had wanted to. Also, Campbell wasn't too thrilled with a Tom Petty solo album. Eventually, though, he got on board.
Campbell was on board at the beginning. It was actually recorded at Mike’s studio in his house. He’s the one Heartbreaker who played on the album.
Great stories about an artist badly missed. Pandemic isolation is kicking my ass. Took a year but it's getting rough. This is a good time to sing along to I Won't Back Down. Thanks.
You are so passionate and such a great story teller.
This was, and still is my go to song when I need to remind myself that I won't back down. My first husband passed away from brain cancer in 2005. Our kids were 12 and 9. This is the song that got me through my bad days when I just wanted to give up. I will always be grateful to Tom Petty for helping me through my darkest days
I remember full moon fever. As change goes this album was tom all the way. That quality revealed itself more and more each time I played it. The songs now are just as solid as the earth I live on. I miss tom petty a true grounded soul.
Thanks for the enlightenment about a legend and his music.
Last year, The Drive (Chicago) played "I Won't Back Down" on a Friday night during the lockdown to honor those who are/were fighting to end this pandemic; firefighters, hospital workers, etc.
Jim Keltner was also in the Traveling Wilburys. He’s seldom mentioned but deserves recognition
Absolutely!!
Tom Petty!!! I have always loved him! I had the pleasure of seeing him four times. The first time was in 1982. He and the Heartbreaker's music were a huge part of my life! I still listen to it all the time!
Something by Harrison was one hell of a song if u stop to listen to it
And so was While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Here Comes The Sun......3 incredible songs :)
I was going through a pretty devastating marriage breakup, it was an all time low, This song woke me in my dream at one am one night just flowing through my head. I actually had forgotten it existed and had to google who had sung the song. It lifted me out of a dark place when I needed it most and I never looked back. Cheers
I was more sadden by Tom Petty’s death more than I was when David Bowie died, I thought maybe it was because we both came from working class upbringings and a lot of his music was influential to me.
eddie van halen n neal peart.
@@driver4011 tough ones too.
Awesome tribute! “I Won’t Back Down” has been my favorite song for many years and besides being the song I’ve sung with bands when asked to join them on stage, it has spoken to my heart a message of resolve that has sustained and inspired me through heart ache, unfair treatment and the darkest struggles of life. As a Believer in Christ, I know the gates of hell are real and “I won’t back down” has become a montra that is a part of my resolve in life. Love Tom Petty, love this song, thoroughly enjoyed your take on it. Let’s keep on rockin and keep on rollin forward in life, love, faith and hope - no matter what😎👍
I miss Lucky.
When I told a buddy I'd been more effected by Tom's death than my own father's, I got called a sociopath.
My response? You know Tom Petty, but you didn't know my father.
When I was diagnosed with MS it became my fight song… then my husband started having heart issues the same day Tom passed…. This song was playing once again on the way to the hospital on the radio… it’s like it’s our song…. but it’s Petty and there’s not one bad song…. He is missed so much by his Petty Nation fans. And he’s missed by me because his music has always carried me through life…. Full Moon Fever cassette was played so much I had to buy another one….
"I Won't Back Down" was also covered by Jason Aldean on "Saturday Night Live", as a tribute to both Petty and the victims of the Route 91 country music festival shooting in Las Vegas in October 2017.
(I love your T-shirt!!)
Tom was as genuine as one can get..."I won't back down" was my personal anthem to rise above. I can't say enough how much I loved TP. I am so grateful I pressed that "buy" button for front row tickets to TP's 40th anniversary tour concert which would sadly be his last one in Boston. Thank you so very much professor for this amazing tribute to one amazing musician/songwriter.
I loved Full Moon Fever... not a ton of albums I really just listened to start to finish, but this was one of them, which is sort of amazing because this really wasn't my preferred genre -- it was just good music. (The Colour and the Shape, Hysteria and Master of Puppets are the only others I can think of off the top of my head.)
I absolutely love your SHOW!!!! I call it a show because it should be on tv. Your dialogue and passion is fixating and a welcomed breath of fresh air. You truly tap in to memories from my musical past. PLEASE keep on keepin on. Three chords and the truth. Be safe and god bless.
"I Won't Back Down" came out in 1989, a great year for other rock legends as well, including Stevie Nicks ("Rooms On Fire"), John Mellencamp ("Pop Singer"), and The Doobie Brothers ("The Doctor").
Great video, Professor! Mr. Petty is gone, yet he left us an amazing and quite extensive body of work that I continue to enjoy.
Your best story yet....bully’s, dad’s.....RnR history....been watching awhile.