“I Won’t Back Down” - Tom Petty
(Words/music: Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty, available on Full Moon Fever, MCA 1989)

A few years ago, I came across a book titled Lit Riffs.  The concept was simple – writers composing short pieces of fiction based on a song.  As with any anthology, some of the entries were good (specifically, I remember a dark one about a Vietnam veteran based on Pearl Jam’s “Why Go”) and some were disappointing.  Still, the one that stuck with me the most was based on “I Won’t Back Down,” turning the song’s plaintive declaration of perseverance into a story of schoolyard bullying.  The song seemed more like words of advise to the protagonist (I gave away my copy of the book, so I can’t reread the story, sorry) than a mantra, as the main character struggles with his quarrelsome peer.  It wasn’t a trailblazing work of fiction, but it made me think about Tom Petty’s song again.

“I Won’t Back Down” works so well because of what Tom Petty leaves out of the song.  It doesn’t reach the same vocally intense (read: emotional) moments that “Free Fallin’,” the previous song on Full Moon Fever reaches, nor does it have the same driving force as my personal favorite “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”  Instead, Petty calmly declares that he’s willing to stand up for his beliefs.  In a strange way, this reminds me of the calm and passive courage Atticus Finch displays in To Kill a Mockingbird – he doesn’t advertise that he’s a terrific attorney or a world-class sharpshooter – he only flexes his muscle when necessary.  Petty’s song lays itself out in a similar way – it sets a steady, constant tempo and refuses to fluctuate.  There’s some great slide guitar but no full blown solo, just a couple well-placed fills.  Even when Petty’s vocals climb up towards the top of his register, he’s just taking the high part of an ensemble vocal rather than showing off.  This isn’t our former President threatening to “smoke ‘em out,” but rather a firm yet calm statement of resolve and conviction.  It’s the kind of sentiment that more of us should take a cue from.

When Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played last year’s Super Bowl halftime, I worried that the set would be kind of boring.  Instead, I was pleasantly surprised that his set contained two of my favorites - “Runnin’ Down a Dream” and “I Won’t Back Down.”  In particular, the latter seemed appropriate for the occasion, as the Giants refused to buckle against New England’s juggernaut.  After the game, I called Eli Manning’s performance the “physical manifestation” of this song, and a year later it seems fitting.  Manning didn’t win the game with a record statistical evening (in the same way that Petty’s song doesn’t overload on effects or gimmicks).  Instead, his steady, consistent play (and a moment of luck eluding the Pats’ defense on the Tyree miracle catch) provided the foundation for his team’s victory.  If nothing else, it gave me a great premise to write about the game the next day!

More on Tom Petty: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm