1990. # 32; And the next thing I know, it’s a big hit record. I think it was just a girl’s name. # 7; And that was really good for me. I thought at the time I was going to do an album based on southern themes and southern music. # 85; Kathleen Edwards released a version of the song on the "Sweetheart: Love Songs" covers compilation from 2004 on Hear Music. # 89; It took minutes. # 73; # 40; 1994 # 75 It bends the notes. # 31; Your email address will not be published. Login | Create Account. Your fan forever – Breakdown. # 99; The whole idea of a gunslinger questioning his existence is great, saying, “I’m taking control of my life.” It  really cracks me up, still, that song (laughs). I was just playing on a keyboard and Jeff was listening to this song. A Face in the Crowd 0 interpretations; 1995. # 48; It’s like one of those magic moments when everything just comes alive and it’s a kind of painful thing, but wakes you up. Lyrics # 86; I played it to them, and they really dug it, and we made the record. That was inspired by the Gulf War. We worked on that record for a long time. I do have a vague memory of being extremely glad when I hit the bridge. / # 76; I started with the title. And I had that guitar riff, that really good lick. [2], The narrator discusses falling in love with someone who used to be just "a face in the crowd.". That was a fabulous show in Berkeley,the night before the other shows were postponed. That was one of those rare moments when I actually got to say something and entertain the people at the same time. # 25; Jeff is a melody guy. # 50; So awesome. Josh Klinghoffer formerly of the Red Hot Chili Peppers briefly performed the song in tribute to Petty, who died five days earlier, at the band's October 7, 2017 show in Texas. # 43; in 1990, Blues From A Gun - I wrote it on a break from recording at the Shelter Studio in Hollywood. I bought it (laughs). Photos / I wrote it in a couple of hours. It’s dissonant. # 35; A Higher Place 0 interpretations; 1981. “We will miss you down here, but will see you again”! # 38; # 16; I played her the song. # 28; I think it was the only thing he said. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It’s one that has really survived over the years because it’s so adaptable to so many situations. ▼  Select Chart Below I got into that space and it drifted in, and the very next day I brought it to the band and we cut it. "A Face in the Crowd" is a song co-written and recorded by Tom Petty. You are AMAZING! But it made a great sound. Billboard Hot 100 chart. # 29; But we honestly didn’t think about the Byrds at the time. 1998 And she immediately wanted to sing along. It probably wouldn’t have seen the light of day if she hadn’t done it. I said, “Would it really sound totally lame if I said I wanted to keep this one and write you another?” She said, “No, not at all.“  I had a few songs that I didn’t think I was going to use and “Stop Dragging My Heart Around” was one. There’s also no 12-string on that record. # 36; # 66; # 71; I wrote it one evening with Jeff Lynne. # 24; And he said, “Whew, that’s good.” And I said, “Really?” And he said, “Yeah.” And then, almost to make Jeff laugh, I ad-libbed the verses. # 84; Required fields are marked *. Tom Petty Song Meanings . One good thing about him and the whole Wilburys experience is that I became completely unashamed. And I played that tape for Rick [Rubin] and he liked it a lot and suggested I write a chorus. Grammy-winning record producer Don Was shares studio stories and insight on his work with the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul Westerberg, Kris Kristofferson and more. # 20; Because it was literally four or five people sitting there going, “Handle with care” (laughs). Was hoping to hear about “Crawling Back To You”, Happy Birthday Tom Petty! And we did that by literally grabbing the tape and yanking if off the reel. # 8; Orrin Keepnews, one of the most respected producers in jazz history, played an integral role in the birth of modern jazz. That was the idea, to have that kind of broken rhythm on the highhat. I played it and she said, “That. # 14; Top 100 ChartsRock & Roll ChartsR&B ChartsCountry ChartsBrazil Charts It was done. Your songs have always stuck to me like glue. As long as it’s got some soul to it, it’s going to be fine. # 94; I thought at the time I was going to do an album based on … There’s one part, if you listen where the piano does this rrrvvvvv thing. # 17; Very late at night, about four or five in the morning. # 3; I don’t know what happened there. Your email address will not be published. ‘Refugee’ is another one of those songs where the verse and the chorus feature the same chords, with just a two-chord bridge before the chorus. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Face_in_the_Crowd_(Tom_Petty_song)&oldid=948681967, Articles needing additional references from October 2017, All articles needing additional references, Pages using infobox song with unknown parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 April 2020, at 12:19. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it. It’s one of the first things that we actually wrote together. # 90; "A Face in the Crowd" is a song co-written and recorded by Tom Petty. Thank you for your sharing your talent and for being YOU! I got the chorus right away. # 34; She says, “I love it. The latest news from your favorite artists.