American Girl – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Man, I miss Tom Petty. Who doesn’t? I could fill a few months’ worth of posts on Petty songs I love. I went with this one first because the title fits so well with the holiday, and second, they actually recorded this tune on July 4th, 1976! The 200th anniversary of our declaration of independence. Too cool, right?

The song starts with an instantly recognizable guitar riff, in which you can really hear the influence of one of Petty’s favorites, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds. Tom and fellow Heartbreaker Mike Campbell are able to pull this off by playing in unison, paying homage to McGuinn’s signature 12-string sound. I love it when the rhythm section kicks in, especially the opening bass line where bassist Ron Blair really holds onto those notes and lets them ring out. The whole song is upbeat, fast-paced, and fun. For me, lyrically, the song tells a story of an American girl plagued by wanderlust, yet something or perhaps someone, is holding her back from exploring the world.

Those who are familiar with Petty and the Heartbreakers know they’re from Gainesville, Florida and shared a love for the University of Florida Gators. Interestingly enough, there’s a rumor on the UF campus that this song is actually about a UF student who committed suicide by jumping off the balcony of her dorm, Beaty Towers. Tom actually went on record to refute this rumor, but it certainly adds some spookiness to such an upbeat song.

Link to the song – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIhb-kNvL6M

Link to a live performance – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy_jSSJOAjQ