“At the session George Harrison sang and played the guitar. I had a terrible cold that day, and George went to the store and bought a ginger root, boiled it and had me stick my head in the pot to get the ginger steam to open up my sinuses, and then I ran in and did the take.”
– Tom Petty
I was surprised to learn when I heard this song recently that I hadn’t already added it to my music library. Hence I am backtracking in the alphabetical listing to make amends since I always liked it ever since I first heard it as a 15 year-old. Outside of his input in the super group The Traveling Wilburys, I Won’t Back Down is the third song from Petty to feature here after his previous entries Learning to Fly and Free Fallin’. I have always considered Petty one of the great bastions of Musica Americana in the midst of the synthesiser and digital music revolution of the 80’s.
What I admired most about I Won’t Back Down is what it represented; an anthem of resilience, a rallying cry for those standing firm in the face of adversity. Due to its themes, the song was played often on American radio following the September 11 attacks. Released in 1989 as the lead single from his first solo album, Full Moon Fever, this track has cemented its place in rock history. It was co-written by Tom Petty and his longtime collaborator Jeff Lynne who has featured here with ELO and The Traveling Wilburys.
Upon its release, I Won’t Back Down achieved considerable success reaching number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has been covered by numerous artists across different genres, including Johnny Cash and Pearl Jam. Petty once said, “That song frightened me when I wrote it. I didn’t understand it. But when I finished it, I understood it was about standing up for yourself” (Rolling Stone). Jeff Lynne, in an interview, mentioned, “It was a song that just came together so naturally. The message is simple but powerful” (Classic Rock).
[Verse 1]
Well, I won’t back down
No, I won’t back down
You can stand me up at the gates of Hell
But I won’t back down
No, I’ll stand my ground
Won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down
Gonna stand my ground
And I won’t back down
[Chorus]
(I won’t back down)
Hey, baby, there ain’t no easy way out
(I won’t back down)
Hey, I will stand my ground (Ooh)
And I won’t back down
[Verse 2]
Well, I know what’s right
I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around
But I’ll stand my ground
And I won’t back down
[Instrumental Break]
[Chorus]
References:
1. I Won’t Back Down – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I love Tom Petty and feel fortunate to have seen him twice with the Heartbreakers: The first time in Germany in the late ’80s during their tour with Bob Dylan, where he and opening act Roger McGuinn saved the night for me (Dylan was a huge disappointment, largely due to wrong expectations I had!); and in 2014 in New Jersey during the Heartbreakers tour that supported their final album “Hypnotic Eye.” I still regret skipping their 40th anniversary tour in 2017, thinking there would be more opportunities to catch them again. When it comes to Tom Petty’s solo songs, “I Won’t Back Down” is probably my favorite, together with “Free Fallin’.”
Oh, what a great period to see him. I procured the bootleg concert of his tour with Dylan in Australia ’86 which I imagine was the same world tour you saw them at.
Oh, I didn’t know about their 40th anniversary tour, but to be frank I am still not cognisant of a lot of Petty’s discography, personal history and legacy.
I think my favourite remains ‘Free Fallin’.
Thanks for opening up about your connection with Petty’s music.
I “prepared” for the Dylan concert by listening to his 1974 live album “Before the Flood,” which I really loved and still do. Naively, I thought Dylan would largely replicate it, not realizing that each of his concerts is different and that he often completely rearranges songs – sometimes to the point where they become barely recognizable, unless you know them in and out.
He opened up his set with “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (a weird choice, IMO) and went on to play stuff I didn’t know or recognize. I was so disappointed I was pretty much done with Dylan!
I discussed my experience with my longtime music buddy, who is a Dylan fan. He kind of laughed and that it all sounded typical typical Dylan.
To my defense, years later, he told me other folks he knew who also dig Dylan attended that same concert and also thought it wasn’t great. So perhaps, the maestro didn’t have his best night after all.
I don’t know how many times I have heard criticisms such as yours of Dylan ‘live’, but it’s a lot. I can understand the disillusionment. I don’t think I have anything more to add, but I appreciate you going into such detail from your ‘musical appreciation’ perspective.
It’s defiant… and I love it. Back in 1989 I was seeing someone I shouldn’t have been seeing…an ex-girlfriend of a friend and this was my theme song. The girl was beautiful but totally nuts…and to quote a Beatles song….I Should Have Known Better.
That’s an interesting personal back story you forwarded here. In the ‘Free Fallin’ article you reflected on something also personal: ‘I was up to no good and left someone who was good…dumb choice but I still have great memories of that summer’. So I gather this is another girl?? Lol
Same girl same album…I did leave someone good for chaos…very stupid of me but I will never forget that summer.
Ah thanks Max for filling me in on the sequence of events which obviously impacted you strongly. Cheers.