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 Wild One Forever
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the street lights slowly died
Yeah, they call you the wild one
Said, "stay away from her"
Said, "she could love no one if she tried"
But then something I saw
In your eyes told me right away
When the strangest feeling came over me
Down inside, no matter what it takes
I'll never get over how good it felt
When you finally held me
I will never regret
Baby, those few hours
Will grow in my head
Forever
Well, it's too bad, but I want you
To know I understand
Yeah, it's been a long time but I don't mind
Yeah, it's all right, I understand
Because something I saw
In your eyes told me right away
That you were gonna have to be mine
When the strangest feeling came over me
Down inside, I knew right away
I'll never get over how good it felt
When you finally kissed me
I will never regret
Baby, those few hours
Will grow in my head
Forever
And ever
In Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers' song "The Wild One Forever," the singer is entranced by a wild, charming woman despite warnings to stay away from her. The lyrics describe how the singer feels a deep connection with this woman, despite knowing that it is risky and that society would frown upon their dalliance. The singer knows that this is a transformative and life-changing experience, and he acknowledges that he may never fully move on from the memory of their time together. Despite the fact that their time together may have been brief, he knows that it will last forever in his mind.
The lyrics also speak to the power of instinct and attraction. The singer is drawn to this wild woman, and he trusts his own feelings rather than the advice of others. He recognizes a spark between them that he cannot deny, and he is willing to take the risk of pursuing her. The song is a celebration of living in the moment and embracing the unexpected, even if it leads to heartbreak.
Overall, "The Wild One Forever" is a beautifully written song about the power of love and the forces that drive us to take risks in pursuit of connection. It speaks to universal experiences of attraction and desire, and the thrill of following our instincts even when we know that it may not end well.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, a moon sank as the wind blew
The night was dark and the wind was blowing.
And the street lights slowly died
The lights on the street were turning off one by one as the night progressed.
Yeah, they call you the wild one
You have a reputation of being adventurous and unpredictable.
Said, "stay away from her"
Others warned me to avoid you because they thought you were trouble.
Said, "she could love no one if she tried"
People believed that you were not capable of loving anyone.
But then something I saw
But then I noticed something in you.
In your eyes told me right away
Your eyes conveyed a message to me.
That you were gonna have to be mine
That I was destined to be with you.
When the strangest feeling came over me
I experienced an unusual sensation.
Down inside, no matter what it takes
Deep inside of me, I was determined to have you.
I'll never get over how good it felt
I will always remember how amazing it was.
When you finally held me
When you finally embraced me.
I will never regret
I will never have any remorse.
Baby, those few hours
The brief time we spent together.
Will grow in my head
Will remain forever in my memory.
Forever
For all eternity.
Well, it's too bad, but I want you
Unfortunately, it is unfortunate, but I still desire you.
To know I understand
I want you to be aware that I comprehend your situation.
Yeah, it's been a long time but I don't mind
It has been a significant amount of time, but it does not bother me.
Yeah, it's all right, I understand
It is okay; I comprehend the circumstances.
Because something I saw
Because of something that I observed.
In your eyes told me right away
Through your eyes, I instinctively knew.
That you were gonna have to be mine
That we were meant to be together.
When the strangest feeling came over me
When I experienced an unprecedented emotion.
Down inside, I knew right away
Internally, I was certain.
I'll never get over how good it felt
The feeling of happiness will always stay with me.
When you finally kissed me
When I experienced your affection.
And ever
Forever, without end.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Tom Petty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind