by Paul Zollo
Jeff made such a great record of that song. And Mike played so beautifully on it.
There’s a nice recurring riff that holds it together.
Yeah, that’s Mike with his Magnatone amp. It’s got a wobble on the amp that makes a tremolo, but something even more bizarre than that. That’s how we made the record. He got that killer sound, and we just based the record on that.
It’s got beautiful lyrics about digging up your past, and confronting the ghosts of that past. You have “Sell the family headstones/drag a bag of drybones…”
“Make good all my back loans…” “Live off Yankee winters…” Which they do down there. I think my favorite verse is, “Spirits cross the dead fields/mosquitoes hit the windshields/all documents remain sealed…” That’s when I got really excited.
I love the part about “impress all the women/pretend I’m Samuel Clemens/wear seer-suckers and white linens.”
It’s funny, I was playing it, and there are people who didn’t know who Samuel Clemens [Mark Twain] was. It frightened me. [Laughs] Younger people. But he’s one of my great heroes. So, yeah, that was a bit of luck, getting those nice lines. I’ve rarely written something that I felt so good about. It’s up there in my Top Ten of things I ever did. And that’s great. It makes me feel really good. It makes me feel like I want to keep doing this.
It’s interesting that you wrote all the words for it first. Did you have more lyrics that you didn’t use?
Yeah. I wrote a lot. And I edited it down. I got on a tear there. I just started writing and writing.
It’s got some good rhymes in it.
That’s a good feeling, when it all rhymes. Though I wasn’t really concerned with the rhymes when I was writing it. It worked out, so what I did was to take the most important verses and use them. But I had more that I didn’t use. I’m a wealth of information on that subject. ‘Cause I did grow up there, and once I got on the theme of what it would be like if I went back, everything started springing up. [Laughs]
I really like that song. I think it’s up there with anything I ever wrote. I hope people see it that way. I was so happy to get that chorus.
“Big Weekend” is a fun song. It’s a story song, being in a hotel, leaving a tip for the maid, packing up your guitar, and going to see your friends in the bar.
My favorite line was, “I may shake your hand but I won’t know your name/the joke in your language don’t come out the same.” [Laughs]
What inspired that song?
I don’t have the damnedest idea. I just started playing and it appeared. Almost like a ward game. It was along the same theme of it I went back, what would I do? And you’d probably look somebody up, and go out on a big weekend. It’s a little bit of fun, that song. I tried to hammer in a little more into it. Like “You can look back, but it’s best not to stare.” So maybe there is a theme somewhat, of readdressing things.
It was nice writing these songs, because I didn’t feel I was under any pressure, or had any deadline. And I didn’t. I did it just to amuse myself. And like I said, I looked up, and boom, there was a lot of songs.
“Around The Roses” is a nice song.
That’s a good melody. I wrote that in Mexico. I checked into this hotel. There’s English but it’s not the best English. When I checked in, the guy said, ‘Anything we can do for you, let us know.’ I started thinking that I would really like a guitar. I called the concierge and asked him if he could get me a guitar. And he was kind of thrown by that. I said, ‘It doesn’t have to be an expensive one but it’s got to be one that tunes up.’
And I didn’t know how well he understood all that. And then I went out and rode horses for a while. And when I came back, there was a guitar. A nice Spanish guitar, nylon string. And I still have it. I brought it home with me, because I really liked it. But I thought it was so great that I called the front desk and they brought me a guitar. We were about thirty miles from Puerto Vallarta, and I guess somebody drove into town and bought me one. And it tuned up.
So I wrote “Around The Roses” and I finished the chorus to “Down South” when I was there. And I was really happy with that melody to “Around The Roses.”
So I came back, and I had that song, and [Jeff and Mike] just dove right in on it. I love Mike’s solo on it. God, it just got me when he played that solo. ‘Cause he did part of it on regular 6-string, and on the turn-around he did that slide. Which I thought was so nice.
It’s an odd little song. It’s not normal. But I like it. I don’t think it’s one people are going to be drawn to immediately, but the more you hear it, the more it will grow on you.
It’s revealing to me that even when you’re on vacation, you want a guitar, and you want to write.
It’s better than TV. [Laughs] It was a wonderful vacation I had. I had a hammock outside the door, and I would lie in the hammock with my guitar.
I love the beginning of the song “Home”: “Left town in a hurry/blackmailed the judge and the jury…”
Yeah, I like the song. I don’t know if it’s as deep as the other ones. And [Jeff] made a great record of it. Maybe it will make the cut, I don’t know. The only reason it wouldn’t make the cut is because I’m trying to police myself on the length of the album. I was very vocal with everybody that I only wanted to do twelve. Because I think it’s hard to remember more than twelve. I might wind up breaking up my own rule. Because I really like the songs. It would be painful to cut anything.
“Home” has that great line, “Sometime everything’s nothing at all.” Which ties into bigger themes throughout your work.
I have to remember that. Everything, in a tangible sense, can add up to nothing. You’ve got to keep your head to where you realize what’s important and what isn’t. I think that’s what I was trying to say.
And “Honey, your arms feel like home” is such a romantic line.
Well, we’ve all felt that. That’s home, isn’t it? When you’re with the person you love, and you can go anywhere and still feel at home. That’s an important thing to find in life.
“Flirting With Time” has such a catchy chorus, almost like an old Motown hook.
It’s almost too catchy, isn’t it? [Laughs] I played that for Jeff, and I was kind of worried that he might say, ‘That’s too catchy. It’s too obvious.’ I was worried it was too light. But Jeff and Mike liked it. That was another one that I wrote, and the chorus emerged right out of the verse. So I’m still not dead-sure what that song’s about. I just followed my nose until the end of it.
It’s on that theme of realizing that time is precious, and you’ve got to really use it every day. It’s not a song I would have written as a kid. It’s like a little letter to myself to remember to do that.
The song “Golden Rose” is beautiful. About a boat.
Yeah. Probably like a riverboat. That’s what I saw. I wrote that song way back before the album. And I actually did a track of it with The Heartbreakers, which didn’t quite come out the way I wanted. So I remembered it during the sessions, and I played it for Jeff, and he wanted to do it. So it’s really just a little riverboat story. A guy’s stuck on a boat. The Captain’s nuts, and the son is worse. [Laughs] He’s left someone behind.
The chorus is lovely.
Jeff and I sang that in unison. We had a lot of fun singing it. And we did the harmonies together in unison on one mike. We went out into the big room, so we could get a nice ambient room sound on it. And it made a really good sound. Then we put a piano through a Leslie speaker with some tape delay, which makes that strange sound at the end. I tried playing it a few times, and I couldn’t get it. And then Jeff took a go at it. I think he came up with a really nice melody for the ending.
“Ankle Deep In Love” is about a horse.
It’s a story about a daughter that steals her dad’s prize racehorse. And it’s got a little bit of humor in it.
I love that line, when the girl says, “Daddy, you’ve been a mother to me…”
[Laughs] Yeah,
that was a good way to tie it up. I don’t know where that came from. That just came into my head, and I followed the story to see where it would go. It’s like I’ve said, you don’t have a lot of room to write a story in a song. So you have to be economical with your lines. But I like that one because I was able to do it, and get a chuckle out of some of the lines. This girl runs off with a field-hand, and they steal a prize racehorse from her father. So you kind of get the picture that the father’s wealthy. And the field-hand isn’t. “Found her hiding high in the family tree.” I liked that one.
The song “Jack” is cool. It has a different feel than the others.
Yeah, that’s a bit of rock ‘n’ roll. It was fun playing the drums on that.
It’s got great drums on it, especially on the turn-arounds.
Yeah, I was pleased when I found that part. I had a good time doing the drums. I did the drums here on that. I did a lot of that track alone, and then they helped me finish it. Jeff did a bass. It’s not the deepest song in the world, but I thought it would be good to have a nice rock ‘n’ roll song. Fun to sing, too. It’s got a good melody. I also played lead guitar on that one. Where it was actually so bad, they kept it. They said, ‘No, that’s too authentic, we’re not gonna touch that. Leave it the way it is.’
“Damaged By Love” is a nice song about time. With another beautiful chorus.
I could hear the Everly Brothers sing that song. It is about time again. Love is a funny thing, because it can really damage someone, as well as redeem them.
Dana actually helped me with two lines in that song. In the last verse. I was kind of stuck. It’s not something I would ordinarily do, but I said, ‘Hey, what would you put here? What would you say? I know what I want to say, but I can’t really find a way of saying it.’ And that was her line, “In a crowd all alone/walking around in a song.” That was hers.
“So young and damaged by love.” I see that all the time. Parents can damage a child, too. So it’s kind of a serious song, but it’s a very beautiful song. I played that tremolo guitar. It’s basically just an electric guitar with a tremolo and an acoustic. It’s very sparse, but it’s a great song. I love singing that, the chorus especially. It’s one of my favorite ones, I think. It was done late in the album. I really love that kind of song. We were finishing the album, and I wrote it at home. It was the last one I wrote, and I played it for Jeff, and he said, ‘Damn, how do you do this? You’re on a roll. You should run this out as far it can go.’ And I think that’s as far as it went.
It’s funny, because I wrote all those songs, and it’s probably been about four or five months since we quit working. And I haven’t written anything. So it’s weird, you get in a space, and things start coming in. But then it quits. So I’m just sitting around, waiting to write another song before I go back to the studio. Because I don’t want to go back with just one song. But nothing’s coming. I may just have to say that that’s the way it’s supposed to be, because nothing’s coming.
But part of my goal with this album was to have something that is of a piece, and it’s got a certain vibe, and it keeps it throughout.
How about “This Old Town”?
That was written in the middle of all the other things. It’s a little bit of a story about someone who is somewhere they don’t want to be, and feels the town is closing in on him. I hear a lot of people say that when they’re unhappy where they’re living.
Was it L.A. you were writing about?
No, not necessarily. I think it could be any town. The bridge was good. And it was another song that was fun to play the drums on. I got to do a little bit more in that one. I got to do some fills and stuff. I think maybe that’s one of the best tracks. Just as a record. That’s one of the best ones on there. I still haven’t figured out where to put it in the sequence. Right now I have it at the end, but I don’t think it’s the perfect ending.
I like the chords. The chords have a nice turn-around in them. I like that one a lot. That was another one I did here. I did the vocal and the guitar and voice, and then took it over there and did the rest there.
Where did the title Highway Companion come from?
It just came to me, that this would be a nice highway companion. Like a good book that you could take with you on a trip. I liked that. It’s good traveling music. Something you could go on a journey with, and it would be a nice companion.
I’m pretty proud of this album. I think I’ve done something that I’m particularly proud of. I hope people get to hear it. Because it’s hard these days, with the way radio is, to get a lot of exposure for rock ‘n’ roll. I think those that do will enjoy it.
I keep thinking I want to go back and do more. I’m struggling so much with this song I’m trying to write now. But I don’t know if I’m gonna finish it in time. Because I know I’ve got something there, but I can’t seem to get in all to tie up. It’s just a huge headache trying to finish it. It’s just a nightmare trying to finish it.
Is that unusual for you, to struggle to that extent?
This much is unusual. But there’s something that makes me not want to give up on it. Because I know the bit that I’ve got, as much as I’ve got, is really good. But I can’t quite find the line or two I need, melodically and lyrically, to tie it all up. So I’m at a point where I’m almost tired of working on it. So I’ll take a break of a few days, and then come back and work on it again. I think that if I could pull it off, it could be really good.
Does it have a title?
No, that’s the tough part. I don’t know really where to hang my hat. [Laughs] know what I want to say, but I don’t know how to say it yet.
discography:
mudcrutch singles:
Up In Mississippi Tonight / Cause Is Understood
1973 Red Pepper
Depot Street / Wild Eyes
1975 Shelter Records
tom petty & the heartbreakers u.s. singles:
Breakdown / The Wild One, Forever
1976 Shelter Records / ABC Records
American Girl / Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It)
1976 Shelter Records / ABC Records
Breakdown / Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It)
1978 Shelter Records / ABC Records
I Need To Know / No Second Thoughts
1978 Shelter Records / ABC Records
Listen To Her Heart / I Don’t Know What To Say To You
1978 Shelter Records / ABC Records
Don’t Do Me Like That / Casa Dega
1979 Backstreet / MCA Records
Refugee / It’s Rainin’ Again
1979 Backstreet / MCA Records
Here Comes My Girl / Lousiana Rain
1980 Backstreet / MCA Records
The Waiting / Nightwatchman
1981 Backstreet / MCA Records
A Woman In Love (It’s Not Me) / Gator On The Lawn
1981 Backstreet / MCA Records
You Got Lucky / Between Two Worlds
1982 Backstreet / MCA Records
Change Of Heart / Heartbreakers Beach Party
1983 Backstreet / MCA Records
Make It Better (Forget About Me) / Cracking Up
1985 MCA / MCA Records
Make It Better (Forget About Me) / Make It Better (Forget About Me) (instrumental mix)
1985 MCA / MCA Records
Don’t Come Around Here No More / Trailer
1985 MCA Records
Rebels / Southern Accents
1985 MCA Records
Needles And Pins (live with Stevie Nicks) / Spike (live)
1986 MCA Records
Jammin’ Me / Make That Connection
1987 MCA Records
All Mixed Up / Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough)
1987 MCA Records
Learning To Fly / Too Good To Be True
1991 MCA Records
Into The Great Wide Open / Makin’ Some Noise
1991 MCA Records
King’s Highway / All Or Nothin’
1991 MCA Records
Peace in L.A. / Peace In L.A. (Peace Mix)
1992 MCA Records
Mary Jane’s Last Dance / The Waiting
1993 MCA Records
Walls (Circus) / Walls (No. 3)
1996 Warner Bros.
Free Girl Now (MP3 promotion & radio only — no retail single)
1999 Warner Bros.
Swingin’ (Radio only — no retail single)
1999 Warner Bros.
Room at the Top (Radio only — no retail single)
1999 Warner Bros.
Surrender (Radio only — no retail single)
2000 Warner Bros.
The Last DJ (Radio only — no retail single)
2002 Warner Bros.
tom petty & the heartbreakers albums:
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Rockin’ Around (With You) — Breakdown — Hometown Blues — The Wild One, Forever — Anything That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll — Strangered In The Night — Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It) — Mystery Man — Luna — American Girl
November 9, 1976 Shelter Records
You’re Gonna Get It
When The Time Comes — You’re Gonna Get It — Hurt — Magnolia — Too Much Ain’t Enough — I Need To Know — Listen To Her Heart — No Second Thoughts — Restless — Baby’s A Rock ‘n’ Roller
May 2, 1978 Shelter Records / ABC Records
Damn The Torpedoes
Refugee — Here Comes My Girl — Even The — Losers — Shadow Of A Doubt (Complex Kid) — Century City — Don’t Do Me Like That — You Tell Me — What Are You Doin’ In My Life? — Louisiana Rain