The one song Tom Petty thought he did better than Elvis Presley: “It was right from the heart”
Throughout music history, numerous figures have gained notoriety for their bold and often publicly proclaimed statements. From Morrissey’s outspoken nature to the Gallagher brothers’ candid remarks, many artists have never been shy about expressing themselves with memorable one-liners. However, Tom Petty’s unexpected entry into this category surprised many.
Petty raised eyebrows with an intriguing opinion about Elvis Presley, who was, by all accounts, the king of covers. A number of his biggest hits were reworked versions of classic blues and rock songs – many of which were tracks originating from Black artists, helping to bring their music to the mainstream but regretfully eclipsing their original takes. Works like ‘Hound Dog’, ‘Suspicious Minds’, ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ and ‘Always On My Mind’ were all covers of previously recorded songs by other artists.
Presley was certainly no stranger to reinterpreting songs, and considering that his versions often surpassed the originals in sales and notoriety, one could argue that his covers were even superior, adorned with his classic Elvis flair. In essence, being a fan of Elvis entails being open to the possibility of a cover version surpassing the original.
Maybe that was the thought process behind Tom Petty’s claim that his own cover did exactly that. “One of my favourite records that probably no one would ever think about it in the boxed set when we covered his song ‘Wooden Heart’,” Petty said of their Presley cover. “I love our record of that. I think we did it better than Elvis. That’s saying a lot, but I think we did. And that was a one-take.”
Petty’s remark only really makes sense when you remember what he is measuring. He is not talking about vocal range or iconography, because that is a fight nobody wins. He is talking about the feeling you can catch in a room when the tape is rolling and everyone forgets to second-guess themselves. In that context, a one-take cover can feel like an honest photograph rather than a recreation, and Petty was always drawn to the honest version of rock and roll, even when it arrived wearing someone else’s clothes.
That is also why the cover works as a kind of private tribute, regardless of whether it tops Presley’s original in any objective sense. You can hear Petty reaching back to the kid who learned the language of pop music by listening to Elvis records until they wore thin. If the Heartbreakers sound looser, less theatrical, and more like a band kicking the tyres on a beloved song, that is the point. It is not an attempt to dethrone the King so much as a reminder that the throne was built on people loving the material enough to sing it again.
It’s a bold claim to suggest that you performed a track better than The King himself. Still sitting at the top of the musical food chain, Presley wasn’t just a musical artist; he was an icon. With an enduring legion of fans and a reputation and cultural relevance that never seems to dip, it’s a loft legacy to try and go up against.
However, Petty was coming at it from the point of view of a fan. As a young kid, the singer and guitarist tried to get his hands on as much of Presley’s music as he possibly could. Petty knew his material like the back of his hand, so one day in the studio, he just flung one out there with no real intention of releasing it. “I had no idea I was going to do it,” he recalled. “I just said, ‘Let’s play ‘Wooden Heart’,’ and I just started it, and we played it. And that was the only time we did it. But it was right from the heart.”
“We just did it and sang it live,” he added. “And when I hear that, I’m really touched by it because it reminds me of being young and listening to those records. It doesn’t sound like Elvis, really, but I’m sure there’s some of that influence.” The performance clearly meant a lot to Petty as they decided to include the one-off cover on their Playback compilation of B-sides and rarities.
The performance is undeniably great. It bottles that energy of a band playing one of their favourite tracks to warm up. It feels so natural and from the heart, just as Petty explained. But Petty’s voice can’t hold a candle to Presley’s. Without his crooning and the over-the-top, theatrical instrumentation of the original, the lyrics fall to nothing but cliches when attempting to modernise them.
No doubt Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers could’ve done a roaring classic rock take on one of his bigger or more boisterous tracks. But this forgotten cut is best off being left to the King.
