Quotes from Tom Petty

The radio has so many rules, and songs don't. You don't necessarily write to a rule book unless you're, like, just doing it professionally, which has never been my thing.

I think, in America, for a long time you had groups that wanted to be stars more than they wanted to make music.

When I go to see people, I always kind of hope they are going to play some kind of songs I know. So you've got to know your audience. It's kind of something that is a blessing and a curse in a way. You're obligated to play some of that stuff that people know, but I don't think that's all you have to do.

I feel sorry for kids these days. They get so much homework. Remember the days when we put a belt around our two books and carried them home? Now they're dragging a suitcase. They have school all day, then homework from six until eleven. There's no time left to be creative.

Go after what you really love and find a way to make that work for you, and then you'll be a happy person.

I don't understand the ones that have no sense of hope and invest in hate. That's not gonna work out, you know? It's a waste of your time!

It's always been great to be onstage. It's really effortless up there. It's not a lot of work.

She grew up hard and she grew up fast, in the age of television.

If I'd had to work at Taco Bell I'd have still been out at night trying to play music.

It just seems to useless to have to work so hard, and nothing ever really seem to come from it.

I don't think it's a good attitude in your life to feel that you have to be rich to have self-esteem.

When you get older, your health becomes important to you, things start breaking down, you've always got a different ache or pain.

What I've learned about marriage: You need to have each other's back you have to be a kind of team going through life.

You and I will meet again When we're least expecting it One day in some far off place I will recognize your face I won't say goodbye my friend For you and I will meet again

TV does not care about you or what happens to you. It's downright bad for your health now, and that's not a far-out concept. I think watching the TV news is bad for you. It is bad for your physical health and your mental health.

I don't treat the band like I'm above them or that they're a hired hand for me. We've never worked that way. So I'm a team player. I would be very uncomfortable having to do this alone.

The energy of the crowd is insane. Twenty thousand people. It's the biggest jolt of adrenaline. It's very hard to explain. You know the old story about the woman lifting the car off her kid? It's in that realm. You can actually hurt yourself and not know it.

It's funny how the music industry is enraged about the Internet and the way things are copied without being paid for. But you know why people steal the music? Because they can't afford the music.

I've learned one thing, and that's to quit worrying about stupid things. You have four years to be irresponsible here, relax. Work is for people with jobs. You'll never remember class time, but you'll remember the time you wasted hanging out with your friends. So stay out late. Go out with your friends on a Tuesday when you have a paper due on Wednesday. Spend money you don't have. Drink 'til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does...

Excuse me if I have/some place in my mind/where I go time to time.

You belong among the wildflowers You belong in a boat out at sea You belong with your love on your arm You belong somewhere you feel free

Sometimes life, will get you down, break your heart, steal your crown.

Well I won't back down No I won't back down You can stand me up at the gates of hell But I won't back down

Yeah and it's over before you know it It all goes by so fast Yeah the bad nights take forever And the good nights don't ever seem to last