2007 seems to have been the year of Tom Petty’s proper rock and roll canonization. Beginning with the release of “Highway Companion,” an album that feels like the world weary rocker’s elegaic look back at his life, continuing with Peter Bogdonavich’s retrospective documentary “Running Down a Dream” (not to mention its sprawling DVD set), and culminating in a halftime performance at the Super Bowl, the world seems to have unanimously decided to accord songs like “The Waiting” and “Free Falling’” the status of Beatle’s-level classics.
As great as these singles are, though, I believe that they often lack the melancholy depth of Petty’s lesser known album tracks. Without a doubt, my favorite of these is “Straight Into Darkness,” from the 1982 album “Long After Dark.” I heard this song for the first time this summer, and was immediately floored. I couldn’t believe that such a perfect song had escaped my notice all these years. There are so many things to love about it: the “Don’t Fear the Reaper”-esque percussion groove (which certainly seems overdue for a renaissance in the wake of SNL’s “More cowbell!” sketch), the sparse, moody piano opening, the contrast of the bright, soaring chorus, the subtle guitar harmonic accents in the third verse.
But I think what gets me the most is the raw emotional impact of Petty’s lyrics, and how the song’s structure is perfectly designed to support it. This is clearly a song written by a man struggling with the pain and hopelessness of a dying love, and it begins, well, in darkness. But what’s surprising, and what makes this every bit the Tom Petty song, is that it doesn’t stay there: the despair of the verses gives way to a glimmer of hope in the chorus, and by the time the bridge rolls around (”Oh give it up to me I need it/Girl, I know when I see it/Baby wrong or right I need it”), Petty has reached “I Won’t Back Down” levels of defiance. The final verse is enough to make the most jaded cynic believe in love again:
I don’t believe the good times are over
I don’t believe the thrill is all gone
Real love is a man’s salvation
The weak ones fall the strong carry on
These are words as inspiring as anything ever sung in a rock song, and a fine example of what makes Petty great.
Tom Petty: “Straight Into Darkness” (MP3, 6 MB)
