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 In Love
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said "Don't think about it, you can go crazy
Anything can happen, anything can end
Don't try to fight it, don't try to save me"
She's a woman in love
She's a woman in love
And he's gonna break her heart to pieces
She's a woman in love, but it's not me
Well alright, do what you want
Don't try to talk, don't say nothin'
She used to be the kind of woman
You have and you hold
She could understand the problems
She let the little things go
She's a woman in love
She's a woman in love
And he's gonna break her heart to pieces
She don't want to know
She's a woman in love, she can't let go
Time after time, night after night
She would look up at me and say she was lonely
I don't understand the world today
I don't understand what she needed
I gave her everything, she threw it all away on nothin'
She's a woman in love
She's a woman in love
And he's gonna break her heart to pieces
She don't want to see
She's a woman in love, but it's not me
The lyrics to Tom Petty's song "A Woman In Love" tell the story of a man who is trying to come to terms with the fact that the woman he loves is in love with someone else. The woman has told him that she doesn't want to be saved, that anything can happen, and that she can't let go of her love for this other man, even though he's going to break her heart to pieces. The man is helpless to do anything about it, and can only watch as the woman he loves goes off with the other man.
Throughout the song, the man remembers the times when he and the woman were happy together, when she was the kind of woman he could have and hold. But now, she's so caught up in her love for someone else that she doesn't even want to see him anymore.
The song is a powerful portrayal of unrequited love and the pain of watching someone you love fall for someone else. It's a reminder that love doesn't always work out the way we want it to, and that sometimes, no matter how much we love someone, we have to let them go.
Line by Line Meaning
She laughed in my face, told me goodbye
She rejected me, and left with a mocking laugh
Said "Don't think about it, you can go crazy
She warned me not to obsess over her rejection, as it may drive me mad
Anything can happen, anything can end
She acknowledged that relationships are uncertain, and can end at any moment
Don't try to fight it, don't try to save me"
She told me not to try to resist her decision, or attempt to change her mind
She's a woman in love
She is deeply infatuated with someone
She's a woman in love
She is passionately and hopelessly in love with someone
And he's gonna break her heart to pieces
The object of her affection will cause her intense emotional pain
She don't want to see
She is avoiding the harsh reality of the situation
She's a woman in love, but it's not me
She may love me as a friend, but her romantic interest lies elsewhere
Well alright, do what you want
I am giving her permission to make her own choices without my interference
Don't try to talk, don't say nothin'
I am choosing to stay silent and accept her decision
She used to be the kind of woman
She had a different personality in the past
You have and you hold
She was once loyal and devoted to her partner
She could understand the problems
She had the ability to empathize with her partner's struggles
She let the little things go
She was able to overlook minor flaws and mistakes in her partner
Time after time, night after night
Repeatedly, and consistently
She would look up at me and say she was lonely
She confided in me her feelings of loneliness
I don't understand the world today
I am struggling to make sense of current events or societal changes
I don't understand what she needed
I am perplexed by what this woman truly desires or wants
I gave her everything, she threw it all away on nothin'
I invested heavily in this relationship, but it was ultimately fruitless
She's a woman in love
She is enamored with someone, though it may not be reciprocated
And he's gonna break her heart to pieces
The person she loves will cause her great emotional pain and damage
She don't want to see
She is willfully avoiding the painful reality of her situation
She's a woman in love, but it's not me
Although we have a close relationship, she is not in love with me
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Thomas Earl Petty, Michael W Campbell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@monachopsis6924
Y'all know what?
Y'all know what?
I'm in love
Yes I am
I'm in love, love, love
I'm in love
I'm sure enough in love, y'all
Now look here
My friends all say
What's come over me?
Cause I'm as happy
As a boy can be
I'm in love
Oh, I'm in love, love, love
I'm in love
I'm so glad
Gonna fly around and tell the world, baby
Cause I'm through crying all night long
I'm sure enough in love, y'all
I feel just like a baby boy
On Christmas a morning
With a brand new toy
I'm in love
Oh, love, love, love
All right
Oh, I'm in love
I'm gonna shout about it
I can cry about it sometimes too, baby
Because I'm sure enough in love, y'all
I'm gonna knock on wood
@bluebear7061
Tom is one cool cat. One in a million. One cool cat !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rip, brother. Heavens gain.
@Butterflies-are-free
The coolest 😢💜😢
@MrDivinewine
The best version of this great Wilson Pickett song. No one can ever top it. Im gonna try anyway. My momma cried the day he died. I was (makin' woods) Apache for cutting fire wood in the forest with my dad. Hats in hand we gave thanks to GOD for Tom Petty.
@sallypyszczek7836
I like that story. Thanks for sharing .
@kimjohnson344
It must be aliens that give this a thumbs down. Love you always Tom
@cherylbaker6338
His voice makes me smile Miss him so much
@mikewiltshire2266
Ben does such a great job on the piano
@oceanview5545
And we're all deeply, unmistakably and totally in love with you and the Heartbreakers and we miss you terribly Tom. We're so grateful for all the musical gifts 🎁 you left us.💘💘
@Butterflies-are-free
Omg I miss him 😢♥️😢
@TheTop40hub
I saw him perform this on stage in the early 80's. Such an awesome performance. We Loved Tom.