Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was a rock band formed in 1976 from Gainesv… Read Full Bio ↴Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was a rock band formed in 1976 from Gainesville, Florida, USA and led by Tom Petty.

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.

Rockin' Around
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Why be lonely?
Why be blue?
You got me, babe
I got you

And I can't stop thinkin' 'bout
How I dig rockin' around with you

I was waiting
You came through
You knew no one else will do

Yeah, and I can't stop thinkin' 'bout
How I dig rockin' around with you

Well, you know I dig rockin' around
You know I dig rockin' around
You know I dig rockin' around

You know I dig rockin' around
You know I dig rockin' around

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers' song Rockin' Around are a simple yet effective declaration of love and affection between two people. The opening lines "Why be lonely? Why be blue?" suggests that the person singing these lines is trying to persuade their lover that there is no need to feel lonely or blue as they are there for them. This is followed by the declaration "You got me, babe, I got you", which is a clear statement of commitment and loyalty to each other.

The chorus of the song, "And I can't stop thinkin' 'bout How I dig rockin' around with you", suggests that the person singing the song enjoys spending time with their lover and appreciates the time that they spend together. The lyrics "I was waiting, You came through, You knew no one else will do" suggest that the person was waiting for someone special and that their lover fulfilled that role. This is followed by a repetition of the chorus, which reinforces the idea that spending time together is enjoyable and fulfilling.

Overall, the lyrics to Rockin' Around are a simple and effective declaration of love and a celebration of the joys of spending time with someone special.

Line by Line Meaning

Why be lonely?
Why spend your time alone and feeling empty?

Why be blue?
Why be sad and down when there are people who care for you?

You got me, babe
You have my love and support, my dear partner.

I got you
I am here for you and I will always be.

And I can't stop thinkin' 'bout
I am constantly replaying in my mind.

How I dig rockin' around with you
How much I enjoy spending time with you, doing things we both love.

I was waiting
I was anticipating the moment when we can be together again.

You came through
You fulfilled my hopes and showed up, ready to spend time together.

You knew no one else will do
You understood that nobody else can take your place in my life.

Yeah, and I can't stop thinkin' 'bout
Yes, I admit that I am unable to stop thinking constantly about.

How I dig rockin' around with you
How much I truly enjoy spending time with you.