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.
Listen To Her Heart
Tom Petty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your money and your cocaine
You keep thinkin' that her mind is gonna change
But I know everything is okay
She's gonna listen to her heart
It's gonna tell her what to do
She might need a lot of loving
You want me to think that I'm being used
You want her to think it's over
You can't see it doesn't matter what you do
Buddy, you don't even know her
She's gonna listen to her heart
It's gonna tell her what to do
She might need a lot of loving
But she don't need you
And you just can't creep up behind her
And you can't understand that she's my girl
She's my girl, aah
Yeah, she's gonna listen to her heart
It's gonna tell her what to do
She might need a lot of loving
But she don't need you, ooh
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers's song "Listen To Her Heart" talks about a woman who knows what she wants and won't be swayed by a man who thinks he can buy her love or change her mind. The man thinks that his money and cocaine can win her over, but the singer is confident that the woman will stay true to herself and listen to her heart. The song is a call for men to respect women and their choices, and not try to manipulate them into doing what they want.
The lyrics also tackle the issue of possessive behavior in relationships. The man who thinks he can take the woman away from her current partner cannot comprehend that she is not his property, and that she will make her own decisions. The singer emphasizes that the woman is "his girl" and nobody else's. The song encourages men to let women be themselves and make their own choices, rather than trying to control them.
Overall, "Listen To Her Heart" is a powerful message about respecting women's agency and autonomy in relationships. It is a call to men to listen to women, value their voices, and let them make their own choices.
Line by Line Meaning
You think you're gonna take her away
You believe that because you have money and cocaine, you can win her over and make her yours.
With your money and your cocaine
You think that your wealth and drug use will make you more attractive to her.
You keep thinkin' that her mind is gonna change
You mistakenly believe that she will eventually fall in love with you.
But I know everything is okay
Despite your attempts, she is happy with her current situation and is not interested in you.
She's gonna listen to her heart
She will follow her heart and make the decisions that are best for her.
It's gonna tell her what to do
Her heart will guide her in making the right choices for herself.
She might need a lot of loving
She may need affection and attention, but that doesn't mean she needs you specifically.
But she don't need you
Despite what you believe, she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself and does not need you to do it for her.
You want me to think that I'm being used
You want me to believe that she is using me, but that is not the case.
You want her to think it's over
You want her to believe that her current relationship is ending, but that is not your decision to make.
You can't see it doesn't matter what you do
Your actions do not affect her decisions or feelings towards you or her current partner.
Buddy, you don't even know her
You do not know her well enough to make assumptions or decisions on her behalf.
And you just can't creep up behind her
You cannot sneak up on her or manipulate her into being with you.
And you can't understand that she's my girl
You cannot accept that she is already in a committed relationship with someone else.
Yeah, she's gonna listen to her heart
Once again, she will follow her heart and make choices based on what is best for her.
But she don't need you, ooh
Regardless of what you believe, she does not require you to be happy, fulfilled or content.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Tom Petty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind