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Tom Petty — Saving Grace
Album: Highway Companion
Avg rating:
7.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3355









Released: 2006
Length: 3:41
Plays (last 30 days): 3
I'm passing sleeping cities
Fading by degrees
Not believing all I see to be so
I'm flying over backyards
Country homes and ranches
Watching life between the branches below

And it's hard to say
Who you are these days
But you run on anyway
Don't you, baby?
You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace

I'm moving on alone
Over ground that no one owns
Past statues that atone for my sins
There's a guard on every door
And a drink on every floor
Overflowing with a thousand amens

And it's hard to say
Who you are these days
But you run on anyway
Don't you, baby?
You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace
Don't you, baby?

You're rolling up the carpet
Of your father's two-room mansion
No headroom for expansion no more
And there's a corner of the floor
They're telling you is yours
You're confident but not really sure

And it's hard to say
Who you are these days
But you run on anyway
Don't you, baby?
You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace
Don't you, baby?
You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace
Don't you, baby?
Comments (200)add comment
Love anything TP
 xcranky_yankee wrote:
... a song is born!



Actually borrowed it from the swiss band HNO.
 uksminas wrote:



Gifs are one of the many reasons I am so addicted to RP
 GHoffmeyer wrote:

…another mediocre TP song on RP - overplayed.




Yep.  More elevator music.  Downhill after You Got Lucky.
 GHoffmeyer wrote:

…another mediocre TP song on RP - overplayed.




 TerryS wrote:

Why is that monkey leading the spaceman towards the Simian Rocket?


Why doesn't the monkey have on a space suit?   
Is the "monkey " actually a sentient alien lifeform  from that desert planet?  
Could this be the planet Arrakis from Dune?
Is the astronaut is taking the monkey back to Earth?

There's yellow smoke on the left horizon.  
Is that the remains of a nuclear mushroom cloud?
Or is that someone exhaling from a vape pen?

So many questions ...
 GHoffmeyer wrote:

…another mediocre TP song on RP - overplayed.



I'm struggling to remember the last time I heard this song. 
 meatmike wrote:

We'll all be rediscovering Tom Petty for the rest of our lives.



This comment is made possible by Radio Paradise, the listener supported radio
 GHoffmeyer wrote:

…another mediocre TP song on RP - overplayed.



average rating is a 7 out of over 2600 ratings hmmm seems you are in the minority GH l
…another mediocre TP song on RP - overplayed.
 TerryS wrote:

Why is that monkey leading the spaceman towards the Simian Rocket?



To get to the other side?
Excellent!!
 keller1 wrote:

Petty is using a very old chord progression.  Same with Top.

From the five minutes of research I've done, it looks like it appeared on record for the first time in the 20s, recorded by a delta bluesman named Tommy Johnson.



Not that it matters, but this is not the same chord progression as "La Grange" or "Boogie Chillen".  The bridge in this song deviates from the I - IV - V blues structure.  The strumming pattern is clearly borrowed from the Delta blues style though.
 whatsupdude wrote:


I don't care, I don't care, I don't care.... if you're Madonna or Cher.
... a song is born!

 hollirg1 wrote:

What a horrible voice he has... unpleasant.



I don't care, I don't care, I don't care.... if you're Madonna or Cher.
sounds like 'Lagrange' ZZtop
Tommy did a bad, bad thing...
I'd like to hear Your Saving Grace by Steve Miller Band next
RIP
 pcicatar wrote:
Annnnnnd now I want to hear ZZ Top's "La Grange".  



Pretty widely available, at least here in the Republic of Texas. Accept no substitutes. Ah haaa haaa haaaw....
Tom rocked and rocked....RIP
Annnnnnd now I want to hear ZZ Top's "La Grange".  

What a great driving song
Foot tappingly good
 Grammarcop wrote:
My saving grace? The mute key.
 
21 songs on RP is too many. 
About 20 too many.
Why is that monkey leading the spaceman towards the Simian Rocket?
nice coasting energy, like he's taking a back seat and watching the world go by
Thank you for sharing, RP.
Nice cover, too.
 mgtom wrote:
I wasn't a Tom Petty fan for quite a few years but the music became an acquired taste. I quite like it now and it's so sad to see him go. 

RIP, Tom Petty. Thanks for the ride. 
 
I am in the same boat with both Petty and Dylan. Could not stand either one of them in my youth and into my 30s. As the years have gone by, I’ve come to appreciate both more. 
I don't know what it is about this track, but I could listen to it for hours!
 coloradojohn wrote:
Yeah, pretty amazing that even his sub-peak-potential stuff is way kick-ass...And his truly inspired works sublimate into the surreal; Dig it!
 
Diggin it!  I love the roving rim shot tracking right to left on these headphones of mine.  Good driving tune...now I need to find a road and LEAVE work...shucks....gotta stick it out another 159 minutes today.....Long Live RP!!
We'll all be rediscovering Tom Petty for the rest of our lives.
I'm surprised at the mediocre ratings of this song.  I think it's great.  
One day ill get in a van and get the hell outta here
 dveightinurface wrote:
don't like tom petty. found my self running to the computer to find out who this was and i eat my words. great song.

 
If you poke around some more, I suspect that you will find more to like in a catalog that includes 20 studio albums, 4 bands, several collaborations, and 300+ songs.
don't like tom petty. found my self running to the computer to find out who this was and i eat my words. great song.
Consistently great rock from this man and Heartbreakers.  He is missed
Tom + Jeff = Awesome.
I spent the last 2 days listening exclusively to Tom Petty stuff.  Why couldn't Stephen Paddock have had the heart attack instead of TP?  RIP Mr. Petty
Thank you, Bill and Rebecca, for easing our sad hearts today with the incredible music of Tom Petty and all the talented musicians he played with over the years. We will miss our hero but are grateful to you both for keeping radio alive.
I wasn't a Tom Petty fan for quite a few years but the music became an acquired taste. I quite like it now and it's so sad to see him go. 

RIP, Tom Petty. Thanks for the ride. 
RIP friend
Not among their best, and I'm surprised Mike Campbell signed off on such an obvious rip-off riff.  
In case you want to hear it again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPYFWnzjIy0 
I am going to blow a voice coil in my loudspeaker(s) with this !!   Awesome.
 coloradojohn wrote:
Yeah, pretty amazing that even his sub-peak-potential stuff is way kick-ass...And his truly inspired works sublimate into the surreal; Dig it!

 
Sounds great from another living in Colorado.🎞🎞
Have heard a couple of tracks from the upcoming album and they both were great. I believe it is due out 7/31....promising!
Yeah, pretty amazing that even his sub-peak-potential stuff is way kick-ass...And his truly inspired works sublimate into the surreal; Dig it!
A Master Song Writer .. Great Musician!

Running 
 Rockit wrote:
{#Bananajam}Big Fat 8!

 
I will see your 8 and raise you a 9! Love that groove!
Cynaera wrote:
What a great song... Short, sweet, hard-hitting, and to the point.  I just love this.
  Spot on.
 Cynaera wrote:
Anyone who doesn't love this song, or who doesn't at least acknowlege the talent, should check out some bland FM station, because you won't hear this song anywhere else.  Holy cow. What a great song... Short, sweet, hard-hitting, and to the point.  I just love this.
 

Miss you so much, Cynaera...

love this song...
 
What a horrible voice he has... unpleasant.
...never heard bevor...starting with a 7 and discovering TP since rp...thanx....rocker
 lsfeder wrote:
This song makes me want to floor the gas every time I hear it.  I think I might have hit 120MPH at one point on my commute yesterday {#Cowboy}
 
This.
IMHO, TP is a
rock genius
{#Bananajam}Big Fat 8!
 Cynaera wrote:

I apologize. I didn't mean to say that anyone who doesn't love Tom Petty's music is deficient.  I must've been feeling particularly feisty when I wrote that comment, and I deserved the snark. Sometimes, my opinion is my evil twin. {#Doh} 
 
WOW - how refreshing! I really appreciate you being so fully accountable, responsible, and self-aware.  If only we had a whole country of people like you!
My saving grace? The mute key.
 cvandoren wrote:

I'm going to check out some FM.  I feel better and more self-aware now that I know about my deficiencies.
 
I apologize. I didn't mean to say that anyone who doesn't love Tom Petty's music is deficient.  I must've been feeling particularly feisty when I wrote that comment, and I deserved the snark. Sometimes, my opinion is my evil twin. {#Doh} 
 Dave_Mack wrote:
A how how how how
 
I know what you're referencing.  Agreed!

A how how how how
 Cynaera wrote:
Anyone who doesn't love this song, or who doesn't at least acknowlege the talent, should check out some bland FM station, because you won't hear this song anywhere else.  Holy cow. What a great song... Short, sweet, hard-hitting, and to the point.  I just love this.
 
I'm going to check out some FM.  I feel better and more self-aware now that I know about my deficiencies.
Really like the rockin nature of the song, but just can't get past his voice which I do't think works with this, especially at the beginning.  Averages out to a 5 - Decent.  His voice does seem to get smoother as the song goes on... strange.

This song makes me want to floor the gas every time I hear it.  I think I might have hit 120MPH at one point on my commute yesterday {#Cowboy}
I saw this song title on the Now Playing screen and thought of the Steve Miler song of a similar name. I would rather hear that one. 
I've always had a great amount of respect for Tom Petty, but never a huge fan of his music.  The new Mojo album and songs like this one, however, may change that - RP strikes again!! {#Bananajam}
Bill, You either read my mind or my post! Costello followed by Petty!
 Cynaera wrote:
Anyone who doesn't love this song, or who doesn't at least acknowlege the talent, should check out some bland FM station, because you won't hear this song anywhere else.  Holy cow. What a great song... Short, sweet, hard-hitting, and to the point.  I just love this.
 
This is a good song and one may not hear it elsewhere, but a great many of Tom Petty's tunes are on the play-lists of bland FM stations all over the country, and have been for over thirty years.


Anyone who doesn't love this song, or who doesn't at least acknowlege the talent, should check out some bland FM station, because you won't hear this song anywhere else.  Holy cow. What a great song... Short, sweet, hard-hitting, and to the point.  I just love this.
 sirdroseph wrote:
What's up with all the Petty lately? Let's slow our roll a little bit on this now. This song is actually tolerable though, better than most of his dreck.
 
do you think, this is the right station for you?


 sirdroseph wrote:
What's up with all the Petty lately? Let's slow our roll a little bit on this now. This song is actually tolerable though, better than most of his dreck.
 

Tom Petty's work mostly dreck?! {#Eek}
{#Bananajumprope}{#Bananajam}{#Dancingbanana_2}
What's up with all the Petty lately? Let's slow our roll a little bit on this now. This song is actually tolerable though, better than most of his dreck.
{#Dancingbanana}
 philbertr wrote:
ZZ Top influence is pretty obvious.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.
  Yeah, I always think of La Grange when I hear the guitar riff. There are only so many permutations of blues licks unfortunately.

a great Tom Petty rock song!
Tom Petty is very good indeed.
 cathenley wrote:
Any Tom is Godlike in my book....
 

I hear that sister!
Love this very much!!
 keller1 wrote:

Petty is using a very old chord progression.  Same with Top.

From the five minutes of research I've done, it looks like it appeared on record for the first time in the 20s, recorded by a delta bluesman named Tommy Johnson.
 
That's more like it.  My impression of ZZ Top as highly derivative remains intact.
 garthwb wrote:
 The beauty of having a mind, and an opinion, is that they can (and most probably will) be changed, sooner or later.
Top-10 RP post. Thanks for taking the time to write!

Love it, old school.
I've never understood why Petty was so well considered by so many, I've always thought he was mediocre (lets keep in mind that this is a matter of opinion and I'm not being mean spirited in any way)
This song however was very, very good.
Any Tom is Godlike in my book....
Gee, "Bad Things" (the theme to "True Blood" by Jace Everett) sure sounds like it got some inspiration from this song.

 Stefen wrote:
Love the drumsticks on the cymbal stand!  I had to watch the video to figure out what that sound was.
 
UPDATE:

"This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by WMG."

Jerks!

 fredriley wrote:
...and so I went out to buy the album. Only one other track was any good, the rest were dire IMO. Great track still worth an 8, crap album barely worth 3, sadly.
 
Wow, it's surprising how different people's opinions can be. This album was a real highlight for me last year (or the year before, don't remember exactly when it came out). I'm just grateful Tom continues to give us new music, even reforming an old band from 30 years ago to explore his roots.

Different strokes, I suppose ...

 drtjdel wrote:
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer.
 
Exactly what I got too.


Love the drumsticks on the cymbal stand!  I had to watch the video to figure out what that sound was.
 philbertr wrote:
ZZ Top influence is pretty obvious.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.
 
Petty is using a very old chord progression.  Same with Top.

From the five minutes of research I've done, it looks like it appeared on record for the first time in the 20s, recorded by a delta bluesman named Tommy Johnson.

 fredriley wrote:


...and so I went out to buy the album. Only one other track was any good, the rest were dire IMO. Great track still worth an 8, crap album barely worth 3, sadly.
 

That's normal for a Petty album.

Do like the piano triplets on this, though.
ZZ Top influence is pretty obvious.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.
fredriley wrote:
Yeah! I really love the guitars on this one - it's amazing the noise the band gets out of them. Great driving (and for driving) blues rock.
...and so I went out to buy the album. Only one other track was any good, the rest were dire IMO. Great track still worth an 8, crap album barely worth 3, sadly.
garthwb wrote:
I'd say Tom Petty is most definitely UNDER-rated, if anything. If the likes of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison saw fit to invite him into their little side-project band, we need to ask ourselves why. He needs to be recognised as one of the very few who have become pretty iconic in their own right. Great, solid, consistently enjoyable rock of a high calibre is the domain of a very few... Springsteen is now enjoying that status, after years of being thought of as a has-been. Perhaps Tom Petty never gave us anything as enormous as "Born To Run/ in the USA", but he's never tried to be a massive stadium-filler, or felt the need to be as 'big' as some artists IMHO, but nevertheless finds himself slowly being accepted into that pantheon, by a growing legion of fans, and doing it the old-fashioned way; through consistency, hard work, passion, and craftsmanship. That gets the old two-thumbs-up as far as I'm concerned! Check out last year's Bogdanovich film "Running Down a Dream" if you need convincing. But "over-played, over-rated"? I've been an avid music fan since seeing the video to Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall", aged 8, and every day I'm ASTOUNDED by music I'd written off in my foolish youth as "boring" or "over-rated" or "old hat" or,(heaven help me!) "uncool"! Bands like the Cars, Steely Dan, Elvis Costello, the Go-Betweens... Yet the true beauty of art lies in the attempt itself, the fact that someone's actually CREATED something, and in trying to understand that artistic statement on its own grounds. Not all music is art, of course, but there is always, to be found within the song, a measure of artistry somewhere, be it the songwriter's, the singer's, the musicians', the producer's... (But if it still sounds like Backstreet Boys, then that's not a good sign!). The beauty of having a mind, and an opinion, is that they can (and most probably will) be changed, sooner or later. The only real thing I've ever learned is that everything changes, and to go with it when it does. (This from someone who's not particularly fanatic about Tom Petty...) You cannot see with closed eyes, nor can you hear with closed ears. That's the reason that "Old Fogey" music is perennially popular, because people change. You can bet there won't be that many Death Metal purists in the old age homes in 40 or 50 years! Vey few that won't bop along to an old Dean Martin song, at any rate... Enjoy the ride!
garthwb wrote:
I'd say Tom Petty is most definitely UNDER-rated, if anything. If the likes of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison saw fit to invite him into their little side-project band, we need to ask ourselves why. He needs to be recognised as one of the very few who have become pretty iconic in their own right. Great, solid, consistently enjoyable rock of a high calibre is the domain of a very few... Springsteen is now enjoying that status, after years of being thought of as a has-been. Perhaps Tom Petty never gave us anything as enormous as "Born To Run/ in the USA", but he's never tried to be a massive stadium-filler, or felt the need to be as 'big' as some artists IMHO, but nevertheless finds himself slowly being accepted into that pantheon, by a growing legion of fans, and doing it the old-fashioned way; through consistency, hard work, passion, and craftsmanship. That gets the old two-thumbs-up as far as I'm concerned! Check out last year's Bogdanovich film "Running Down a Dream" if you need convincing. But "over-played, over-rated"? I've been an avid music fan since seeing the video to Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall", aged 8, and every day I'm ASTOUNDED by music I'd written off in my foolish youth as "boring" or "over-rated" or "old hat" or,(heaven help me!) "uncool"! Bands like the Cars, Steely Dan, Elvis Costello, the Go-Betweens... Yet the true beauty of art lies in the attempt itself, the fact that someone's actually CREATED something, and in trying to understand that artistic statement on its own grounds. Not all music is art, of course, but there is always, to be found within the song, a measure of artistry somewhere, be it the songwriter's, the singer's, the musicians', the producer's... (But if it still sounds like Backstreet Boys, then that's not a good sign!). The beauty of having a mind, and an opinion, is that they can (and most probably will) be changed, sooner or later. The only real thing I've ever learned is that everything changes, and to go with it when it does. (This from someone who's not particularly fanatic about Tom Petty...) You cannot see with closed eyes, nor can you hear with closed ears. That's the reason that "Old Fogey" music is perennially popular, because people change. You can bet there won't be that many Death Metal purists in the old age homes in 40 or 50 years! Vey few that won't bop along to an old Dean Martin song, at any rate... Enjoy the ride!
So in summary....
I'd say Tom Petty is most definitely UNDER-rated, if anything. If the likes of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison saw fit to invite him into their little side-project band, we need to ask ourselves why. He needs to be recognised as one of the very few who have become pretty iconic in their own right. Great, solid, consistently enjoyable rock of a high calibre is the domain of a very few... Springsteen is now enjoying that status, after years of being thought of as a has-been. Perhaps Tom Petty never gave us anything as enormous as "Born To Run/ in the USA", but he's never tried to be a massive stadium-filler, or felt the need to be as 'big' as some artists IMHO, but nevertheless finds himself slowly being accepted into that pantheon, by a growing legion of fans, and doing it the old-fashioned way; through consistency, hard work, passion, and craftsmanship. That gets the old two-thumbs-up as far as I'm concerned! Check out last year's Bogdanovich film "Running Down a Dream" if you need convincing. But "over-played, over-rated"? I've been an avid music fan since seeing the video to Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall", aged 8, and every day I'm ASTOUNDED by music I'd written off in my foolish youth as "boring" or "over-rated" or "old hat" or,(heaven help me!) "uncool"! Bands like the Cars, Steely Dan, Elvis Costello, the Go-Betweens... Yet the true beauty of art lies in the attempt itself, the fact that someone's actually CREATED something, and in trying to understand that artistic statement on its own grounds. Not all music is art, of course, but there is always, to be found within the song, a measure of artistry somewhere, be it the songwriter's, the singer's, the musicians', the producer's... (But if it still sounds like Backstreet Boys, then that's not a good sign!). The beauty of having a mind, and an opinion, is that they can (and most probably will) be changed, sooner or later. The only real thing I've ever learned is that everything changes, and to go with it when it does. (This from someone who's not particularly fanatic about Tom Petty...) You cannot see with closed eyes, nor can you hear with closed ears. That's the reason that "Old Fogey" music is perennially popular, because people change. You can bet there won't be that many Death Metal purists in the old age homes in 40 or 50 years! Vey few that won't bop along to an old Dean Martin song, at any rate... Enjoy the ride!
you run on anyway Don't you baby ?hikeupit wrote:
One of the most over rated and over played songs of the past year. Enough already!
Cool half-time show Sun.!
How odd that I'm an avid RP listener and TP fan, and yet this is the first time I've heard it?! You guys make it sound like it's played as much as, oh say, all the stuff you like and I don't. You who? YOU! I bet you like all sorts of stuff I don't. Well ain't that just life. I say play it again, Bill. A nicely done song from Mr. Petty. What a pretty cover! I dig good cover art.
keller1 wrote:
I get all manner of flak from the TP hard core out there when I criticize him. To be fair, this tune rocks right along, even if it is a fairly generic boogie.
I was just complaining about his voice the other day. But that was a much earlier cut. This is far less nasal and whiny. Not bad at all, in fact.
This song seems a bit affected by ZZ Top... isn't it?
This guy keep putting out the BEST stuff. Any better and the govt would make it illegal...
One of the most over rated and over played songs of the past year. Enough already!
most excellent
This rocks.
8.08 am - You Don't Know How It Feels 1.26 pm - Running Down a Dream 6.13 pm - Saving Grace (I see this one was also played Sept 29) Admittedly the last two are a couple of Petty's more tolerable pieces, but Bill must be smiting those of us who aren't Petty fans.
tlbritton wrote:
Petty not relevant in decades?? Puuuuhhhhleese - how old are you anyway?!?!
sorry agnes - apparantly i needed to direct this to calray?
agnes wrote:
His last release, "The Last DJ," is a song cycle about the destruction of music by commercial radio. Tell me that's not relative, especially to RP listeners...
Petty not relevant in decades?? Puuuuhhhhleese - how old are you anyway?!?!
Tom Petty RULES
I get all manner of flak from the TP hard core out there when I criticize him. To be fair, this tune rocks right along, even if it is a fairly generic boogie.
dtytler wrote:
AWESOME TUNE
Your graphics are such a suitable accompaniment to this song!
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer.
THe guy is accomplished, lyrical, a master of confident musical landscapes; great licks and chord changes, catchy toe tapping pop. If you don't appreciate it, go write a better, more relevant song.
calray wrote:
Bill is really playing this album, and this song especially, out - Tom Petty hasnt been relevant in decades...
Spoken like someone who totally misses the point. Tom Petty is one of the last great American rock 'n rollers, if not THE last. More Tom Petty, Bill! Please go deep, as well!
siandbeth wrote:
Maybe it means we should give this planet back to the animals and take off. Or, monkey is showing alien around.
Or maybe in a suit the monkey would look more like a child, and we'd miss the point. Just being stupid....kinda bored tonight.