Some People Really Should Back Down

 A story about Tom Petty (the late): Way back in 1984, while he was pushing himself and his band through the completion of the album that would become Southern Accents, he became frustrated upon hearing yet another disappointing demo track. At which point, Tom hit the wall. Actually hit a wall in the studio. With his left hand. The one he used to play the guitar. In his words, he "completely shattered my hand. I shattered it. To powder.” Initial X-rays and doctor's prognosis suggested that he might not ever play the guitar again. There were wags, at the time including yours truly, who made jokes about "Tom Petty and the Handbreakers."

That story has a happy ending. Eight months later, after lots of physical therapy and plenty of practice, Tom Petty was playing the guitar again. He went right on doing so until 2017, when he stopped playing here on earth and took his act to play the great gig in the sky. 

I relate this story because the kind of passion that existed in this man would probably not have allowed someone to do a very poor cover of one of his songs. And promote it on Faux News and other right wing outlets. The song to which I refer is "I Won't Back Down," released in 1989 as the lead single from his solo album Full Moon Fever. It has been recorded by the wife of one of the Trump Spawn. Subsequently it has become an anthem of sorts for the poor, tormented family whose fortune is being reevaluated even as we speak. Lines like "You can stand me up at the gates of Hell, but I won't back down," take on a special sort of ring when they come slithering out of one of these folk's mouths. Doubling down on this pity party, Lara Trump insists that her version is being "shadowbanned" on outlets such as Spotify and iTunes. That's what is keeping it from becoming the monster hit that is should be. 

Way back when it was released, Tom's version peaked at number twelve on the Billboard Chart. Lara whine-tweeted, "Why doesn't my song appear when you search 'I Won't Back Down'???" Perhaps because she, like so many of her clan, does not understand how things work. "They wouldn't put my song on the radio 'cause it was too political, and I think it's time we as conservatives start fighting back," she continued. 

Maybe she doesn't understand history. 

In 2000, Tom Petty sent a cease and desist letter to the Bush campaign, insisting that they stop using that song. He later played it for Al Gore at his home after Gore conceded the election to Bush. In 2020, his estate sent a letter to the former game show host's campaign that read, in part, “Trump was in no way authorized to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind. Both the late Tom Petty and his family firmly stand against racism and discrimination of any kind. Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate. He liked to bring people together.” After the election, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris played “I Won’t Back Down” at their victory speech in Wilmington, Delaware. Petty’s family later wrote on Instagram that they were “touched to see Tom included on such an important night in America.”

In short, Lara: The song is great. We like the song. We just don't like you.