How Tom Petty punched back at the music biz with “Refugee”

By the time Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers set out to record their third album, Damn The Torpedoes, they were in a legal mess with MCA Records over a contract sale which resulted in Petty losing all of his publishing rights, among other issues. In a drastic strategy to get the label off his back, he filed for bankruptcy and hid the master tapes of the material he, the band, and co-producer Jimmy Iovine were working on every day. That strategy worked, which resulted in a rare triumph for artists in the music business. When Damn The Torpedoes was released, it became their breakthrough, led by “Refugee,” a song Petty crafted the lyrics for in about 10 minutes. Dig in to the incredible story in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.

Music Producer: Christian Lane
Video Director: Eva Empleo

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About Janda:
Behind The Song podcast host and creator Janda Lane is a radio DJ at WDRV-FM in Chicago, the city she calls home with her husband and podcast partner, Christian Lane, and their two cats, Ollie and Liam.

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[theblackandwhitefilmproject]

Cool! My first date with my then girlfriend and now wife of 40 years was a TP concert in 1980 Auckland NZ when this song and album had just been released. The date and the concert both went well!

[md-]

These are great stories you present, … however, it would be more interesting with reference photos, images, ..to if only break up the visual.

[darinjames]

Tom was very Janda!!.... Chicago Rock n Roll...I hear yer voice daily ...lol....very d a fantastic job and thanx from r these videos

[mggilbert]

I appreciate your direction with the channel.👍 Couple of friendly suggestions - use of B roll video and images, and also a little more rehearsal with the material coupled with a teleprompter so the delivery is smoother. Right now, it really stands out that you're pausing to refer to notes, and it takes away from the conversational vibe the Professor of Rock and Rick Beato deliver so well. Best of luck!! 😊

[gdelohi]

Just hearing you read the lyrics gave me the chills. I can't think of more perfect lyrics for the time period it came out, and it's still just as powerful. Great content, thanks for the story.

[DonJoyce]

Holy red light district, Batman! Cool lighting! Great story as usual, Janda! Off to listen to the full album...

[michaeldrysch]

Awesome as always Janda!!! Thanks for the awesome backstory on this wonderful TP & THB's tune...And Thanks Christian for the beautiful mixing!!!

[damianwhite]

You put so much work into these videos and this is brilliant

[jchow]

Thank you -great content & presentation ☮️

[Caperhere]

If you take requests, would you please do an episode of “Walk’n In Memphis”? I watched American Epic yesterday, and one of the songs sang was written by WC Handy, who’s mentioned in WinM.

[Georgienne]

I love knowing trivia about songs it makes them more special to me. Iovine dated Stevie Knicks for some time, I wonder if that was Stevie & Tom collaborated for, “Stop Dragging My Heart Around”.

[xrandy]

To me "Refugee" is the quintessential rock song: great guitar riff, great guitar tone, righteous Hammond organ, minor chord progression and enigmatic lyrics. In regards to those lyrics one of the lines is very powerful due to it's inscrutability: "Tell me why you wanna lay there, revel in your abandon". I'm not sure what it means, and Petty probably didn't either as it defies a clear meaning, however it packs a serious emotive punch that matches the tense melancholy of the music. The fact that it defies rules of grammar just adds to the mystery (instead of using the correct noun abandonment he uses the verb form of the word) and just sounds, well cool.

[stevebrien]

My favourite Tom Petty song. They had a super unique sound that sounded early new wavish

[metamando]

I owned EVERY Tom Petty album at one time; then my then-girlfriend went to the pawn shop....I wonder if I still have this you, Janda!

[alexmartin]

I wonder who did the backing track it sounds phenomenal

[marlenedryden]

Good story telling. Tom rules. Still. Your reporting shows respect and careful research. But when did Tommy stab a conference table with his knife? Hello from Neptune Beach Florida!

[aaronhaurum]

Pettis wildflowers produced by Rick ŕubin also sister album wildflowers and the rest excellent

[emptynester]

I’m an interview Mike Campbell snickered and said Industry people assume Tom is a push over because he seems so laid back but man I tell ya Tom takes shit from nobody.

[mrparlanejxtra]

You should have sang the lyrics. You would have a great singing voice but if you did they would be "petty" and take down your good work.

[mrparlanejxtra]

Record labels and their supposed executives are pure evil.From what I see Y.T. aren't much better.