Refugee (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song)
"Refugee" | ||||
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Single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | ||||
from the album Damn the Torpedoes | ||||
B-side | "It's Rainin' Again" | |||
Released | January 11, 1980 | |||
Recorded | 1979 | |||
Genre | Rock[1] | |||
Length | 3:25 | |||
Label | Backstreet | |||
Songwriter(s) | Tom Petty, Mike Campbell | |||
Producer(s) | Jimmy Iovine, Tom Petty | |||
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Refugee" on YouTube |
"Refugee" is a song recorded by American rock band
Composition and recording
The song's co-writer Mike Campbell said "Refugee" was one of the first songs he wrote, and recounted, 'I just wrote the music and handed it to Tom [Petty] and he put the words over it, and when he did he found a way to make the chorus lift up without changing chords.'[4]
In a November 2003 interview with Songfacts, Campbell described the recording sessions for "Refugee":
That was a hard record to make. It was a 4-track that I made at my house. He (Tom Petty) wrote over the music as it was, no changes, but it took us forever to actually cut the track. We just had a hard time getting the feel right. We must have recorded that 100 times. I remember being so frustrated with it one day that - I think this is the only time I ever did this - I just left the studio and went out of town for two days. I just couldn't take the pressure anymore, but then I came back and when we regrouped we were actually able to get it down on tape.[5]
Reception
"Refugee" is widely regarded as one of Petty's best songs. In 2017, Billboard ranked the song number 10 on their list of the 20 greatest Tom Petty songs,[9] and in 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the song number two on their list of the 50 greatest Tom Petty songs.[10]
Personnel
- Tom Petty – lead vocal, rhythm guitar
- Mike Campbell – lead guitar
- Ron Blair – bass
- Stan Lynch – drums, backing vocal
- Benmont Tench – organ, backing vocal
- Jim Keltner - shaker
Notable remakes
"Refugee" was covered by Melissa Etheridge in 2005 for her album Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled, and reached No. 96 in the Billboard Pop 100 chart.[citation needed] Other versions have been recorded by Vains of Jenna, Alvin and the Chipmunks,[11] and The Gaslight Anthem.[12]
Chart performance
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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References
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Damn the Torpedoes - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ^ Joel Whitburn, Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles: 1955–2010, Record Research, 2011.
- ISBN 0-19-517010-5.
- ^ Newton, Steve (August 14, 2014). "Meet Mike Campbell, the Underrated Guitar Genius Behind All Those Tom Petty Hits". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "Mike Campbell". Songfacts. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
- ^ "Top Singles Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. January 19, 1980. p. 97. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 19, 1980. p. 24. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. January 19, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ Unterberger, Andrew (October 3, 2017). "The 20 Best Tom Petty Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- ^ "Tom Petty: 50 Greatest Songs". Rolling Stone. November 28, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- ^ Chipmunk Punk Allmusic. Retrieved 10 July 2011
- ^ Baltlin, Steve (February 15, 2010). "A Look Back at the Knack's 'My Sharona'". Spinner.com.
- ^ "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Refugee" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ^ "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Refugee". Top 40 Singles.
- ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ^ "Top 100 1980-03-29". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
- ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-04-25. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
- ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1980 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1980-12-31. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
- ^ "Pop Singles" Billboard December 20, 1980: TIA-10
- ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1980". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
External links
- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Refugee on YouTube