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.
Square One
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers 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, 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 you were 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, 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, 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, took a world of tears
And 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
Lori Rothenbush
"Square One"
Had to find some higher ground.
Had some fear to get around.
You can 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.
Can't sell your soul for peace of mind.
[Chorus:]
Square one, my slate is clear.
Rest your head on me my dear.
It took a world of trouble, took a world of tears.
It took a long time to get back here.
Tried so hard to stand alone.
Struggled 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 are so lost.
Told us you were satisfied, but it never came across.
[Chorus]
[Guitar Solo]
[Chorus 2x]
Play "Square One"
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AZLyrics T Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Lyrics
album: "Highway Companion" (2006)
Ray Staar
Tom Petty's death hit me as hard as John Lennon's. I still think about him every day. Some people say it's weird to grieve over a celebrity's death, but Tom wasn't just a celebrity. He was a poet, an artist and a deeply human and humble person. That's a rare combo.
ratter531
@Diane Robinson My Heart and feelings are with you, Diane, sure you do not know me and there are many evil people on the internet, I am an Viet Nam vet age 70, I am the real deal. .My Heart is with you My Dear Diane. Having met Tom I cry every day and night that he is gone. Part of me died when Tom died. I Loved that dear sweet man.
Diane Robinson
@ratter531 Thanks. And the squirrel........Super Squirrel. I love it too!! Hoping life is treating you well. Take the best of care!
ratter531
@Diane Robinson Was very nice to hear from you again, your words are so very true .love the squirrel on your avatar. 💖
Diane Robinson
@ratter531 Thank you and I hope you have some peace of sorts and that a bit of normality in your life. We are never taught how to deal with the death of a loved one. I learned that the world does not stop for our pain, we have to catch up to it. And you cannot move forward until you have accepted that they are gone. You are right, while the pain lessens, it never goes away. The knowledge that my husband KNEW how much he was loved when he passed, gets me through the difficult times.
"To grieve is the last act of love we give to those we have lost".....Author-Unknown.
Joleen Pietrzyk
Beautifully said. I feel the same way. Thank God we've been left with his timeless music, but I wish he was still here. He was one in a million.
Chris Rogers
Petty’s death has affected me so much. I listen differently now. With joy and with pain. This song is beautiful.
susan lawrence
@Gibby well said!!
Conrad Graff
The World has & will never be the same without Tom I wonder what would he have said...
Bob A Booey
My heart was broken pretty bad this year, I listen to music much differently now.