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.
Straight Into Darkness
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I still think about her, time to time
There was a moment when I really loved her
Then one day the feeling just died
We went straight into darkness
Out over the line
Yeah straight into darkness
I remember flying out to London
I remember the feeling at the time
Out the window of the 747
Man there was nothin', only black sky
We went straight into darkness
Out over the line
Yeah straight into darkness
Straight into night
Oh give it up to me, I need it hey
Girl, I know a good thing when I see it
Baby wrong or right, I need it hey
I don't believe the good times are over
I don't believe the thrill is all gone
Real love is a man's salvation
The weak ones fall the strong carry on
Straight into darkness
Out over the line
Yeah straight into darkness
Straight into night
We went straight into darkness
Out over the line
Yeah straight into darkness
Straight into night
The lyrics of "Straight Into Darkness" by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers tell a story of lost love and the feeling of being lost in the darkness. The song begins by reminiscing about a past relationship that the singer still thinks about from time to time. But then the love suddenly disappeared and it left the singer feeling lost and in the dark.
The song then shifts to a memory of flying on a plane to London and looking out the window to see nothing but black sky, which reinforces the themes of darkness and being lost. The lyrics also mention the need for love, even if it is not necessarily good or right, as it is a man's salvation. The song ends with the strong carrying on while the weak ones fall, possibly hinting at the singer's strength of character in persevering through the darkness of lost love.
Overall, "Straight Into Darkness" is a poignant portrayal of the complexities of love and the feeling of being lost and in the dark when it unexpectedly fades away.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a little girl, I used to know her
The singer knew a girl from his past
I still think about her, time to time
Even though time has passed, the singer still thinks about the girl
There was a moment when I really loved her
At some point, the singer loved the girl deeply
Then one day the feeling just died
However, his feelings for her eventually faded away
We went straight into darkness
The artist and the girl entered a dark phase in their relationship
Out over the line
They crossed a boundary they couldn't turn back from
Yeah straight into darkness
Their relationship took a turn for the worse
Straight into night
They entered a period of uncertainty and darkness
I remember flying out to London
The artist reminisces about a trip to London
I remember the feeling at the time
He remembers the emotions he felt during that trip
Out the window of the 747
He looked out the window of the airplane
Man there was nothin', only black sky
He saw only darkness outside
Oh give it up to me, I need it hey
The singer wants someone or something to give him the love he needs
Girl, I know a good thing when I see it
He knows what true love looks like
Baby wrong or right, I need it hey
He is willing to take a chance on love, whether it works out or not
I don't believe the good times are over
The artist still has hope for the future
I don't believe the thrill is all gone
He believes there is still excitement to be found in life
Real love is a man's salvation
True love can save a person from despair
The weak ones fall the strong carry on
Those who can't handle the challenges of life give up, but the strong keep going
Straight into darkness
The artist is facing the darkness head on
Out over the line
He is pushing past his limits
Yeah straight into darkness
He is determined to confront the darkness in his life
Straight into night
He knows that the path ahead won't be easy
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: Thomas Earl Petty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind