After working with his early bands The Sundowners, The Epics, and Mudcrutch (which also included future Heartbreakers members Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench) he began his recording career with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers when the band broke onto the national music scene with their 1976 self-titled debut album. Still, it took America a full year to catch up to the album. "Breakdown" was re-released to radio and became a Top 40 hit in 1977 after word filtered back the band was creating a firestorm in England.
He was also a member of The Traveling Wilburys, along with George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison. Petty and the Heartbreakers also toured as a backing band for Bob Dylan.
Petty is a vocal critic of the modern recording industry, including the disintegration of independent radio stations.
Petty has been supported by his band, The Heartbreakers, for the majority of his career. He has occasionally released solo work, as is the case with his 2006 effort, Highway Companion, on which he performed most of the backing instrumentation himself. Examples of other solo albums include Full Moon Fever and Wildflowers
Petty died on 2 October 2017 following a cardiac episode earlier that day at his home in Malibu, California. Although some media outlets incorrectly reported his death following an erroneous police report, his death was confirmed later that day by his publicist and manager.
A Mind With A Heart Of Its Own
Tom Petty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Away from the windows at the end of the day
Watch the men from the landing
With tall hats and coat-tails
She'd never look different
But something would change
A mind, with a heart of its own
Do, do, do, do, do, do
Yeah a mind with a heart of its own
Well the man out to end us had a hurricane business
He'd raise them from babies all by himself
But his teen-age accountant had become surrounded
He drank up the party and everyone left
A mind, with a heart of its own
A mind, with a heart of its own
Do, do, do, do, do, do
Yeah a mind with a heart of its own
Well I been to Brooker and I been to Micanopy
I been to St. Louis too, I been all around the world
I've been over to your house
And you've been over sometimes to my house
I've slept in your tree house
My middle name is Earl
A mind, with a heart of its own
A mind, with a heart of its own
Do, do, do, do, do, do
Yeah a mind with a heart of its own
A mind, with a heart of its own
A mind, with a heart of its own
Do, do, do, do, do, do
Yeah a mind with a heart of its own
Yeah
Oh yeah
Tom Petty's "A Mind With A Heart Of Its Own" is a song about the unpredictability of the mind and the heart. The lyrics describe an enigmatic woman who is always the same on the outside, but something changes within her. The singer recalls watching her standing in the tall grass and cattails, away from the windows at the end of the day. He notes that even though she always looked the same, something would change within her. The repetition of the line "a mind with a heart of its own" emphasizes the idea that despite our efforts to control our thoughts and emotions, they have a life of their own.
The second verse shifts to a new character, a man who raised hurricanes from babies all by himself, and had a teenage accountant who became surrounded. This verse is more cryptic in its meaning, but it may suggest that even those who seem to have everything under control are at the mercy of their own impulses and desires.
The final verse describes the singer's travels, including visits to Brooker, Micanopy, St. Louis, and each other's houses. He reveals that he has slept in the other person's treehouse and that his middle name is Earl. The verse seems to be a nod to the randomness of the world and the ways in which we are all connected.
Overall, "A Mind With A Heart Of Its Own" is a song that celebrates the complexities of human emotions and the ways in which life can surprise us with unexpected twists and turns.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember her standing in the tall grass and cattails
The singer recalls a past memory of a woman standing in high vegetation.
Away from the windows at the end of the day
The woman was not near a window during sunset.
Watch the men from the landing
The woman was observing men from a high point.
With tall hats and coat-tails
The men the woman was observing had noticeable hats and jackets.
She'd never look different
The woman's physical appearance did not change.
But something would change
However, there was a discernible shift in her demeanor.
A mind, with a heart of its own
The phrase implies that the woman has her own independent thoughts and emotions.
Well the man out to end us had a hurricane business
There was a man with an aggressive business tactic that threatened the artist.
He'd raise them from babies all by himself
The man in question would cultivate a project from start to finish without assistance.
But his teen-age accountant had become surrounded
The man's young account had gotten into trouble.
He drank up the party and everyone left
The teenager got drunk and caused others to leave the event.
Well I been to Brooker and I been to Micanopy
The artist has visited multiple locations.
I been to St. Louis too, I been all around the world
The singer has traveled extensively.
I've been over to your house
The singer has visited the house of the person being addressed.
And you've been over sometimes to my house
The person being addressed has also visited the singer's house before.
I've slept in your tree house
The artist has even slept in a tree house at the person's residence.
My middle name is Earl
The artist reveals that their middle name is Earl.
A mind, with a heart of its own
The phrase is repeated as a reminder of the woman from the first verse, with the implication that the singer also has a unique internal world of thoughts and emotions.
A mind, with a heart of its own
The phrase is repeated as a reminder of the woman from the first verse, with the implication that the singer also has a unique internal world of thoughts and emotions.
Yeah a mind with a heart of its own
The final line serves as a refrain, solidifying the idea that individuals have independent and complex internal lives.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeff Lynne, Thomas Earl Petty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind