“I didn’t want to”: What song was Tom Petty ashamed of recording?
Tom Petty never once apologised for being a card-carrying student of rock and roll. The whole point behind his music was to make everything a celebration of the music he grew up on, and nothing would stop him from making songs that were as good as what he heard blaring out of the radio as a kid. But whereas some fans like to emulate their heroes, Petty did feel some regret when he decided to fly a little too close to the sun with some of the songs he covered.
But whenever any band plays live, covers are bound to become a part of the equation, and Petty was always a fantastic interpreter of different artists. His version of ‘Mystic Eyes’ is one of the greatest moments that he ever did live, and while covering a band like the Grateful Dead didn’t necessarily fit into the band’s wheelhouse, hearing them take a stab at tunes like ‘Friend of the Devil’ went over surprisingly well when they hit their sweet spot of live playing in the 1990s.
Then again, that’s because every one of the Heartbreakers were seasoned professionals by that time. They had spent a year playing for their lives when serving as Bob Dylan’s backing group, and when they got the call to work with Johnny Cash on his album Unchained, Petty always felt that the record was some of the best playing that the band had ever done outside of their main outfit.
Playing in a band that tight might be great, but Petty knew when he needed to take a step back on albums like Full Moon Fever. It was never going to be fun for the rest of the Heartbreakers to see their leader suddenly drop everything and leave, but judging by how well ‘Free Fallin’ and ‘I Won’t Back Down’ turned out with only Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Mike Campbell, it’s not like they suddenly sounded hollow, either.
When the well ran dry for songs, though, Petty figured the next best thing would be for him to stretch his muscles by covering The Byrds. The influence that Roger McGuinn had on Petty’s music was already evident from the first chiming notes of ‘American Girl’, but compared to every other tune on the record, Petty knew that he got his hero’s sound a little bit too on-the-nose.
During the promotion for the record, Petty remembered being a little bit ashamed that he didn’t bother to put his spin on the tune at all, saying, “We went together to see the reformed Byrds play together last year and I remember thinking what a great song ‘Feel A Whole Lot Better’ is. But because of the whole thing about me copyin’ McGuinn, I didn’t want to do it. Then I realised that with Jeff’s help, this album was also highlighting a lot of my other influences, so it was important that I did do a Byrds song. However, I will admit that the version we do is shamefully note-perfect.”
But it’s not like McGuinn ever held a grudge towards Petty. He would chide him now and again by calling ‘American Girl’ one of his long-lost B-sides, but considering how Petty stood in his corner when making songs like ‘King of the Hill’ and told off the suits that insisted that his hero make watered-down music, The Byrds frontman always knew that he had someone looking out for his legacy all the time.
Beyond the inspiration, though, Petty’s music has helped preserve what made The Byrds the perfect American foil to The Beatles back in the day. The heartland rocker never had to go out and say that he was a fan of the band every chance he got, but whenever anyone listens to those guitars ringing out on any of his classic records, they’re hearing a long history that goes back to McGuinn’s take on ‘Mr Tambourine Man’.
