Petty was supported by his band, The Heartbreakers, for the majority of his career. He has occasionally released solo work, as was the case with his 2006 album Highway Companion on which he performed most of the backing instrumentation himself. However, members of The Heartbreakers have played on each of his solo albums and the band has always backed him when touring in support of those albums.
After the Petty's previous band Mudcrutch disbanded, Petty, never one to give up, enlisted Mudcrutch members Tench (keyboards) and Mike Campbell (guitar), along with Gainesville musicians Ron Blair (bass) and Stan Lynch (drums) to form the now famous lineup that was dubbed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They released their first album, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in November 1976. In 2006, the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of that release.
This lineup stayed intact for four records and was responsible for some of the most infectious songs ("American Girl", "Breakdown", "Listen To Her Heart", "Refugee", "I Need To Know", "Don't Do Me Like That") and one of the most critically acclaimed albums ("Damn the Torpedoes") of all time. Their tremendous success catapulted them from club band to arena rockers seemingly overnight.
Bassist Blair split the band in 1982 and was replaced by Howie Epstein, a protege of seminal rocker Del Shannon. Epstein's solid playing and soaring backing vocals further complemented the band's live attack. Without missing a beat, they headed back into the studio to record a string of successful albums, including the classic "Long After Dark". In 1994, Stan Lynch left the Heartbreakers to pursue other musical challenges and Steve Ferrone (well regarded for his work with the Average White Band and Eric Clapton) soon became the Heartbreakers' chosen drummer.
Most recently, at a time when many of their contemporaries have long since grown complacent, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have in 2002 released one of their finest and most controversial efforts - featuring some of Petty's most moving songs. Recorded both before and following the group's 2002 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, "The Last DJ", reflected Petty's strong views about the state of the music business and the culture generally. With the departure of Howie Epstein, "The Last DJ" marked another notable return: after two decades away, founding Heartbreaker Ron Blair returned to the band's rhythm section. In 2010, The Heartbreakers released the well received album "Mojo".
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.
I'm Walkin'
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm talkin' about you and me
I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me yeah
I'm lonely as I can be
I'm waiting for your company
I'm hoping that you'll come back to me
You're gonna run away and hide
I'm gonna run right by your side
For you pretty baby I'll even die
I'm walkin' yes indeed
And I'm talkin' about you and me
I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me
I'm walkin' yes indeed
I'm talkin' about you and me
I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me yeah
I'm lonely as I can be
I'm waiting for your company
I'm hoping that you'll come back to me
Whatcha gonna do when the well runs dry
You're gonna sit right down and cry
Whatcha gonna do when I say bye bye
All you're gonna do is dry your eyes
I'm walkin' yes indeed
And I'm talkin' about you and me
I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me
The opening lines of Tom Petty's song "I'm Walkin'" are straightforward and immediately establish the theme of the song. The singer is walking and talking about the relationship between him and another person, "you and me." From this, we can infer that there were problems between the singer and the other person that caused a separation. The singer is hoping that the other person will come back to him, emphasizing his loneliness with the line "I'm lonely as I can be."
The second verse further confirms the singer's loneliness and longing for the other person's company. The line "I'm waiting for your company" is a clear indication that the singer wants to reunite with the other person. The third verse adds an element of urgency to the song with the question "Whatcha gonna do when the well runs dry?" The singer seems to be referencing a situation where the other person may have exhausted all their options and is now in need of the singer's help. The singer offers to come to their aid, promising to run by their side even if it means risking his life.
In the fourth verse, we hear the singer repeating the earlier lines, with the hope that they will persuade the other person to come back to him. The repetition further emphasizes the longing and desperation of the singer. The fifth verse sees the return of the question of what the other person will do if the well runs dry, but this time it is followed by the line "You're gonna sit right down and cry." The singer then questions what the other person will do when he says bye-bye, implying he is leaving the relationship. The song ends with the singer repeating the earlier lines once again, hoping to persuade the other person to come back.
Overall, "I'm Walkin'" is a song about a troubled relationship, with the singer feeling lonely without the other person. He extends an invitation to the other person to come back to him, promising to stand by their side, even in tough times. The song's simple composition and lyrics make it an easy sing-along, highlighting Tom Petty's talent for writing uncomplicated yet powerful songs.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm walkin' yes indeed
I am physically walking from place to place, absolutely true
And I'm talkin' about you and me
I am discussing the situation between you and me
I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me yeah
I am optimistic that you may come back to me
I'm lonely as I can be
I feel alone, to the fullest extent possible
I'm waiting for your company
I am waiting specifically for your presence to keep me company
I'm hoping that you'll come back to me
I am longing and wishing for your return once again
Whatcha gonna do when the well runs dry
What will you do when there is nothing left, metaphorically speaking
You're gonna run away and hide
You will avoid the situation and leave
I'm gonna run right by your side
I will stick by you through thick and thin
For you pretty baby I'll even die
I love you so much that I would sacrifice myself for you
Whatcha gonna do when the well runs dry
What will you do when there is nothing left, metaphorically speaking
You're gonna sit right down and cry
You will feel overwhelmed and cry in despair
Whatcha gonna do when I say bye bye
What will you do when I leave you
All you're gonna do is dry your eyes
You will simply cry and eventually dry your eyes
I'm walkin' yes indeed
Reiteration of physical walking, not a metaphor
And I'm talkin' about you and me
Reiteration of discussion about the situation
I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me
Reiteration of desire for the other person to return
Contributed by Brooklyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Terri Fowler
I love this song by Fats Domino & now Tom! I swear Tom can cover anybody & make it sound awesome!! Thanks Tom!! And thank you for posting :)
Suh Synched
Tom nails this vocally. RIP TP and FD.
Sam St John
Two legends here, will miss them both
thug4life2005
Wow Tom Petty did this song justice Fats Domino would be proud of this cover.
Teresa Black
This sounds awesome! I love it!
whitefalcon64
One of the greatest rock'n'roll songs ever !! No matter who plays.
CatGirly01
We're playing this in the guitar lessons at the moment. That really makes fun and is really great!! ^-^
Tito
Why isnt this on Spotify? Its an amazing recording
Ola Myhre
A nice tribute to the father of R&R,the one and only Antoine Fats Domino !
M-Ving
Simple beat, simple lyrics.. and thats fantastic!