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.
Square One
Tom Petty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had some fear to get around
You can't say what you don't know
Later on won't work no more
Last time through, I hid my tracks
So well I could not get back
Yeah, my way was hard to find
Square one, my slate is clear
Rest your head on me, my dear
It took a world of trouble, it took a world of tears
It took a long time to get back here
Try so hard to stand alone
Struggle to see past my nose
Always had more dogs than bones
I could never wear those clothes
It's a dark victory
You won and you also lost
Told her she was satisfied
But it never came across
Square one, my slate is clear
Rest your head on me, my dear
It took a world of trouble, it took a world of tears
It took a long time to get back here
Square one, my slate is clear
Rest your head on me, my dear
It took a world of trouble, it took a world of tears
It took a long time to get back here
Square one, my slate is clear
Rest your head on me, my dear
It took a world of trouble, it took a world of tears
It took a long time to get back here
In "Square One" by Tom Petty, the lyrics reflect on overcoming struggles and hardships to get back to the starting point. The opening lines "had to find some higher ground, had some fear to get around" suggest that the singer has had to overcome something significant, perhaps a personal challenge or life obstacle. The following line "you can't say what you don't know, later on, won't work no more" indicates that the singer has gained some wisdom from their struggles and are now more aware of themselves and their situation.
The second verse begins with the line "last time through, I hid my tracks so well I could not get back" which highlights the idea of being lost or unsure of oneself. The line "can't sell your soul for piece of mind" shows that the singer had to make some difficult choices in order to find peace of mind. The chorus repeats the line "square one, my slate is clear" which reinforces the idea of starting over and being free of past burdens.
The third verse reflects on the singer's struggle to stand alone, indicating a sense of isolation or alienation from others. The line "always had more dogs than bones, I could never wear those clothes" suggests that the singer felt overwhelmed or burdened by responsibilities. The final lines of the song "It took a world of trouble, took a world of tears, and took a long time to get back here" emphasize the difficulty and pain of the journey, but also the sense of triumph in reaching the endpoint of starting anew.
Line by Line Meaning
Had to find some higher ground
I had to rise above my problems and find a better solution
Had some fear to get around
I had to face my fears and overcome them to move forward
You can't say what you don't know
You can't make a claim or speak confidently about something you're not sure of
Later on, won't work no more
Eventually, the way you're doing things won't work anymore and you'll need to find a new approach
Last time through, I hid my tracks
The last time I went through this experience, I covered my trail and made it hard to trace my steps
So well I could not get back
I covered my tracks so well that even I couldn't find my way back to where I started
Yeah, my way was hard to find
The path I took was difficult to follow and not easily discernible
Can't sell your soul for peace of mind
You shouldn't compromise your values or beliefs just to feel better temporarily
Square one, my slate is clear
I'm starting fresh with a clean slate and no baggage from the past
Rest your head on me, my dear
You can trust and rely on me for emotional support and comfort
It took a world of trouble, took a world of tears
It took a lot of hardship and pain to get to this point
It took a long time to get back here
The journey to get back to where I am now was a lengthy and difficult one
Try so hard to stand alone
I have tried my best to be independent and self-sufficient
Struggle to see past my nose
I find it challenging to look beyond my immediate problems and see the bigger picture
Always had more dogs than bones
I've always had more demands and responsibilities than I could handle
I could never wear those clothes
I could never fit into a certain culture or lifestyle that wasn't true to myself
It's a dark victory
Even though I succeeded, it came at a cost or with some negative consequences
You won and you also lost
You achieved your goal but had to sacrifice something in return
Told her you were satisfied
You said you were content and happy with the outcome
But it never came across
Your words didn't match your true feelings or emotions
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Thomas Earl Petty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind