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.
Billy The Kid
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your friends had a laugh on me
Passed my name through the cantina
Yeah your face was hard to read
Something in your demeanor
Should of given you away
But I was desperate for a friend
I was getting used to making mistakes
Well I went down hard
Like Billy the Kid
Yeah, I went down hard
Yeah, but I got up again
I remember you my baby
I remember you so well
And your house out in the suburbs
You had your wishing well
They say be careful who you believe
Be careful who you trust
Did you smile when you pulled the trigger
That dropped me in the dust
Well, I went down hard
Like Billy the Kid
Yeah, I went down hard
Yeah, but I got up again
Well, you caught me in the bedroom
Cotton fever in a sweat
I was fighting for recovery
But I wasn't giving up yet
You offered no assistance
Yeah, you looked at me and you lied
Oh it really stunned me
When you went to the other side
I went down hard
Like Billy the Kid
Yeah, I went down hard
Oh, but I got up again
In the song Billy the Kid by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, the singer is reflecting on a relationship that ended badly. He remembers meeting this person in the back room at a cantina where his friends were making fun of him. Despite his better judgement, he was desperate for a friend, so he ignored the signs that something was off about this person. Their relationship began to deteriorate quickly, and the singer fell hard (like Billy the Kid). However, he was able to get back up and move past it. He remembers the person's house in the suburbs and their wishing well. The lyrics suggest that this person may have caused the singer harm intentionally, saying "did you smile when you pulled the trigger that dropped me in the dust?"
The song speaks to the idea that people should be careful who they trust, and that sometimes we ignore red flags because we are desperate for connections. The repeated motif of falling hard but getting back up again is emblematic of the resilience needed to move on from difficult situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I heard you in the back room
I overheard you talking about me behind my back
Your friends had a laugh on me
Your buddies found my expense amusing
Passed my name through the cantina
You gossiped about me at the bar
Yeah your face was hard to read
I couldn't tell what you were really thinking
Something in your demeanor
There was a certain attitude about you
Should of given you away
It should have been a red flag
But I was desperate for a friend
I was lonely and needed companionship
I was getting used to making mistakes
I was accustomed to messing things up
Well I went down hard
I hit rock bottom
Like Billy the Kid
Just like the notorious outlaw
Yeah, I went down hard
It was a rough fall
Yeah, but I got up again
But I managed to pull myself back up
I remember you my baby
You were someone special to me
I remember you so well
I have vivid memories of you
And your house out in the suburbs
I remember where you lived
You had your wishing well
You had your dreams and goals
They say be careful who you believe
People caution you about trusting others
Be careful who you trust
You shouldn't trust just anyone
Did you smile when you pulled the trigger
Did you find pleasure in hurting me?
That dropped me in the dust
That caused me to spiral down
Well, you caught me in the bedroom
You found me in a vulnerable state
Cotton fever in a sweat
I was going through opiate withdrawal
I was fighting for recovery
I was striving to overcome my addiction
But I wasn't giving up yet
I was determined to keep trying
You offered no assistance
You didn't lift a finger to help
Yeah, you looked at me and you lied
You stared me in the eyes and deceived me
Oh it really stunned me
Your actions caught me off guard
When you went to the other side
When you betrayed me
Oh, but I got up again
But I managed to rise above it
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOM PETTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind