Best Tom Petty Opening Line

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by twistandshout, Oct 2, 2018.

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  1. twistandshout

    twistandshout Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Thought it would be nice to honor Tom by posting a thread about what you thought was some of his best opening lines to songs (or even best lyrics within a song).

    I'll start with:

    "Honey Don't Walk Out, I'm Too Drunk to Follow"......from "Rebels"

    "Oh Baby Don't it Feel Like Heaven Right Now, Don't it Feel Like Something from a Dream"....The Waiting

    "Well the good old days may not return, the rocks might melt and the sea may burn - lyric from "Learning to Fly"

    "Well She Was An American Girl, Raised on Promises".....from "American Girl"
     
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  2. twistandshout

    twistandshout Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    New Jersey
    I also like the opening lines:

    "Well talk on the street says you might go solo, a good friend of mine saw you leaving by your back door" - from "I Need To Know"

    "There's a southern accent, where I come from, The young 'uns call it country, The Yankees call it dumb, I got my own way of talkin', But everything is done, with a southern accent, Where I come from - from "South Accents"
     
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  3. twistandshout

    twistandshout Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    New Jersey
    another great opening lyric from "Even the Losers"

    Well, it was nearly all summer we sat on your roof.
    Yeah, we smoked cigarettes and we stared at the moon.
    And I'd show you stars you never could see.
    Baby, it couldn't have been that easy to forget about me.
     
  4. Efus

    Efus Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I saw an angel, I saw my fate
    I can only thank God, it was not too late - Angel Dream (No 2)
     
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  5. IbMePdErRoIoAmL

    IbMePdErRoIoAmL lazy drunken hillbilly with a heart full of hate

    Location:
    Miami Valley
    IMHO, this is one of the greatest opening lines by anyone ever.
     
  6. seaisletim

    seaisletim Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philadelphia PA
    “You think you’re gonna take her away, with your money and your cocaine....”
     
  7. Szeppelin75

    Szeppelin75 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Panama
    She wore faded jeans and soft black leather. She had eyes so blue they looked like weather.

    It'll all work out.
     
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  8. btltez

    btltez Forum Resident

    Location:
    I'm From Detroit
    The man could write a Southern Gothic Novel in a 3 minute song. From "Down South" :
    "Heading back down south, gonna see my daddy's mistress, gonna buy back her forgiveness, pay off every witness..."
     
  9. twistandshout

    twistandshout Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    New Jersey
    All of these are such great opening lines......how about:

    "Take a look at what I got, I can't promise you a lot, but you and me and the road ahead...."
     
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  10. Freeman 024

    Freeman 024 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    "Well it was nearly summer, we sat on your roof ..." Even The Losers

    "My sister got lucky, married a yuppie ..." Yer SO Bad

    Nobody could nail an opening line better than Petty.
     
  11. George Blair

    George Blair Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    "Well it was out in California by the San Diego sea
    That was when I was taken in and it left its mark on me." Louisiana Rain

    I had just driven from Ohio to San Diego with all my possessions in late 1979. Moved into a beach apartment and heard this on the radio - made the thrill of being there even more real.
     
  12. Denim Chicken

    Denim Chicken Dayman, fighter of the Nightman

    Location:
    Bakersfield, CA
    You know sometimes, I don't know why but this old town just seems so hopeless...
     
  13. windfall

    windfall Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    I’m for standing up, I’m for breaking free,
    I don’t want fate handed down to me

    You’ve got a dangerous background
    And everything you dreamed of
     
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  14. snowman872

    snowman872 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wilcox, AZ
    We did somethin' we both know it
    We don't talk too much about it

    From "Refugee" (1979)
     
  15. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Change of Heart:

    "Well I fought for you
    I fought too hard
    To do it all again babe
    It's gone too far."
     
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  16. windfall

    windfall Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    You never had a chance, did you babe
    So good lookin, so insecure
     
  17. The Killer

    The Killer Dung Heap Rooster

    Location:
    The Cotswolds
    "Honey Don't Walk Out, I'm Too Drunk to Follow"......from "Rebels"

    Yeah, if ever it was all there in one line that's it.
     
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  18. FourWalledWorld

    FourWalledWorld Forum Resident

    "Some days are diamonds / some days are rocks" - Walls (Circus)

    "Put down your things and rest awhile / You know we've both nowhere to go" - Echo

    Great lyric but the opening should be:
    "Well I started out down a dirty road, started out all alone"
     
  19. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Opening lyrics to "The Wrong Thing To Do" (Mudcrutch):

    Well, my daddy took me campin' out under the stars
    Left me by the fire while he hit the bars
    And I broke my finger on a trailer hitch
    Mamma called daddy that son of a bitch, alright
     
  20. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Free Fallin'

    "She's a good girl, loves her mama, loves Jesus and America too"
     
  21. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    I know it starts with the chorus, which in itself is great

    Night Watchman
    Honey this ain't no job for a man like me
    I got potential, I could be just what you need
     
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  22. Cheepnik

    Cheepnik Overfed long-haired leaping gnome

    "Hi, I'm Tom. Can I buy you a drink?"
     
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  23. Dr. Zoom

    Dr. Zoom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Monmouth County NJ
    She probably works in a restaurant
    That’s what her mama did
     
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  24. DME1061

    DME1061 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Trenton, NJ
    Yes!

    Also from the "The Wild One Forever"

    "Well, the moon sank as the wind blew,
    And the streetlights slowly died"
     
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  25. Price.pittsburgh

    Price.pittsburgh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    You better watch what you say
    You better watch what you do to me
     
    Fullbug likes this.
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