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.
The Best Of Everything
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Lyrics
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That's what her mamma did
But I don't know if she ever really
Could've put up with it
Or maybe she sings in a nightclub
'Cause sometimes she used to sing
But I don't know if it ever
Amounted to anything
Wherever you are tonight
I wish you the best of everything, in the world
And, honey, I hope you found
Whatever you were looking for
Yeah and it's over before you know it
It all goes by so fast
And the bad nights take forever
And the good nights don't ever seem to last
And man, we never had the real thing
But sometimes we used to kiss
Back then we didn't understand
What we were caught up in
So, listen honey
Wherever you are tonight
I wish you the best of everything, in the world
And, honey, I hope you found
Whatever you were looking for
Yeah, baby
Wherever you are tonight
I wish you the best of everything, in the world
And, honey, I hope you found
Whatever you were looking for
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers's song The Best Of Everything is a nostalgic tune about a past lover who the singer hopes has found the best of everything in life. In the first verse, the singer speculates on what the woman he used to know could be doing now, guessing that she may be working in a restaurant or singing in a nightclub. He reflects on the fact that he's unsure if her dreams of singing ever amounted to anything.
The second verse is more reflective, pondering on how quickly life seems to pass by and how fleeting good times can be. The singer acknowledges that he and the woman he's singing about never had a real relationship, but sometimes they used to kiss. He admits that in the past, they didn't fully understand what they were caught up in.
The chorus repeats the sentiment that the singer hopes this woman he used to know has found the best of everything in life, no matter where she is tonight. It's a wistful and melancholy song about missed opportunities and the potential paths our lives could take.
Line by Line Meaning
She probably works in a restaurant
I think she works in a restaurant maybe because her mother used to work in one.
But I don't know if she ever really, could've put up with it
But I doubt if she would have lasted there for long.
Or maybe she sings in a nightclub, 'cause sometimes she used to sing
Perhaps she sings in a club because she used to sing sometimes.
But I don't know if it ever amounted to anything
However, I am uncertain if her singing brought her any success.
Said, listen honey
Addressing his former lover, he says,
Wherever you are tonight
Wherever you are right now,
I wish you the best of everything, in the world
I hope you get everything you deserve in life, including happiness and success.
And, honey, I hope you found whatever you were looking for
I also hope you found what you were searching for in life.
Yeah and it's over before you know it
Life passes by in the blink of an eye,
It all goes by so fast
And before you realize, everything is over and gone.
And the bad nights take forever
The unpleasant experiences feel like they last forever.
And the good nights don't ever seem to last
While the positive moments pass by quickly.
And man, we never had the real thing
Reflecting on his past relationship with his lover, he adds,
But sometimes we used to kiss
Though it was not entirely real, we used to share some passionate moments.
Back then we didn't understand what we were caught up in
We did not comprehend the intensity of our relationship back then.
So, listen honey
Addressing his former lover again, he says,
Yeah, baby
In a loving tone, he continues,
I wish you the best of everything, in the world
Once again, I hope you achieve all your dreams and desires in life.
And, honey, I hope you found whatever you were looking for
I also hope you found your true happiness, and all your aspirations in life have been fulfilled.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Tom Petty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind