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.

Surrender
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't talk crazy now
Take it easy
You just can't hold out forever
Don't you lie to me
You said you love me
Don't say you don't remember

'Cause you told me

Yeah, you did
And I'm not gonna let you forget

Well, I'm down on my knees
And I'm begging again
You tell me why that you have to pretend
I know you want me, why don't you give in?
Surrender

Don't let me down
I can't just hang around
Feeling this way forever
On your balcony
You said you love me
Don't say you don't remember

'Cause you told me
Yeah, you did
And I'm not gonna let you forget

Well, I'm down on my knees
And I'm begging again
You tell me why that you have to pretend
I don't like it when you looking at him

Surrender
Surrender to me
Baby, surrender, surrender

Surrender
Surrender
To me
Baby, surrender, surrender

Surrender
Surrender
To me
Baby, surrender, surrender

Surrender

Overall Meaning

Tom Petty’s song "Surrender" is a pleading love song that depicts a desperate individual trying to win back the affection of their former lover. The individual addresses their past partner to stop playing hard-to-get and let go of their pretence. The song talks about how the individual’s love interest had professed their love in the past but now denies any memory of it. In some sense, the lyrics indicate that the individual believes their past partner is indecisive and tries to make them stay by holding onto false love. The chorus of the song is repeated multiple times, emphasizing the importance of the word "surrender" in the context of the song's message. The singer seems to be suggesting that both individuals are still in love and should give into their feelings for each other.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't talk crazy now
Don't say anything unreasonable or irrational right now.

Take it easy
Relax and calm down.

You just can't hold out forever
You can't continue to resist me indefinitely.

Don't you lie to me
Don't be dishonest with me.

You said you love me
You expressed your affection for me in the past.

Don't say you don't remember
Don't claim that you have forgotten what you said before.

'Cause you told me
You revealed your feelings to me earlier.

Yeah, you did
Yes, that's true.

And I'm not gonna let you forget
I will remind you of what you said and hold you accountable.

Well, I'm down on my knees
I am pleading with you.

And I'm begging again
I am asking you earnestly, just as I did before.