It’s arguable that the finest musicians are those who stay true to themselves and the music that first inspired them. One of the most seminal characters to do this was Tom Petty, a master of rock, new wave, and Americana. He was a stellar songwriter and guitarist, firmly establishing himself in the pantheon of greats alongside those who originally influenced him as a wide-eyed child wanting to escape Gainesville, Florida.
While most famous musicians ultimately become so big that they create a legacy of their own, wrapped in the apparent originality of their work, and eschewing the link between them and those who inspired them, Petty never forgot where he came from. Until the end, he continued to pay deference to the artists who came before him and shook his generation into using music as a means of changing their lives, and the world at large.
Whether it be The Byrds and their leader Roger McGuinn, Elvis Presley, The Beatles or Bob Dylan, the humble Petty spoke extensively about his journey into music and the significance of artists such as the aforementioned.
Another icon, who also had a consequential impact on him, and ultimately inspired one of his best-loved songs was the late countercultural heroine, Janis Joplin. Tragically passing away in 1970, the effervescent Texan railed against the backwards social mores of the time, and resoundingly showed that the world didn’t have to be dominated by men.
The track Joplin inspired by Petty was 1981’s ‘The Waiting’, the jangly anthem that musically harks back to Joplin’s countercultural peers, The Byrds. As is often the case with classic hits, the track bugged Petty for weeks, as he knew the guitar lick was “really good”, but it took a lot of time for the other parts of the piece to materialise.
It was a tremendous struggle, he would recall, with him working on it tirelessly until he couldn’t go on, much to the chagrin of his housemates, who would openly express their displeasure at him playing the lick for hours on end.
However, it was one line uttered by Joplin that would give him the key to the puzzle. Petty once said: “Roger [McGuinn] swears to me that he told me that line. And maybe he did, but I’m not sure that’s where I got it from. I remember getting it from something I read, that Janis Joplin said, ‘I love being onstage, it’s just the waiting.’”
Explaining the song’s timeless nature, he continued: “It’s one that has really survived over the years because it’s so adaptable to so many situations. I even think of that line from time to time. Because I really don’t like waiting. I’m peculiar in that I’m on time, most of the time. I’m very punctual.”
