Even the Losers
{{Short description|1979 song by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Even the Losers
| cover =
| alt =
| type =
| artist = Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
| album = Damn the Torpedoes
| B-side = *"Somethin' Else" (live)
- "Stories We Could Tell" (live)
| released = {{Start date|1980|07}}
| recorded = 1979
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = *Rock{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-tom-petty-the-final-interview-20171004-story.html|title=Tom Petty's final interview: There was supposed to have been so much more|author=Lewis, Randy|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=October 4, 2017|access-date=November 27, 2019|quote=Classic-rock staples including "Breakdown," "American Girl," "Refugee," "Even the Losers," "Learning to Fly," "Listen to Her Heart," "Here Comes My Girl," "Walls," "Mary Jane's Last Dance."}}{{Cite web|url=https://iloveclassicrock.com/album-review-damn-the-torpedoes-by-tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers/|title=Album Review: "Damn the Torpedoes" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers}}
- pop rock{{cite web|url=http://www.classicrockreview.com/2014/12/1979-tom-petty-damn-the-torpedoes/|title=Damn the Torpedoes by Tom Petty - Classic Rock Review|website=www.classicrockreview.com|date=27 December 2014|access-date=20 November 2018}}
| length = *{{duration|m=3|s=59}} (album version)
- 3:38 (single version)
| label = Backstreet
| writer = Tom Petty
| producer = *Tom Petty
| prev_title = Here Comes My Girl
| prev_year = 1980
| next_title = The Waiting
| next_year = 1981
}}
"Even the Losers" is a song written by Tom Petty and recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It is featured on their breakthrough hit 1979 album, Damn the Torpedoes. It is also featured on the band's 1993 Greatest Hits album. A live recording of it is included in the box set The Live Anthology. It has become one of the highest regarded songs of Petty's repertoire.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/tom-petty-50-greatest-songs-w506653/mary-janes-last-dance-1993-w506694 | title=Tom Petty's 50 Greatest Songs|author1=Christopher R. Weingarten |author2=Jon Dolan |author3=Corinne Cummings |author4=Nick Murray |author5=Kory Grow |author6=Andy Green |author7=Will Hermes |author7-link=Will Hermes |author8=Rob Sheffield |author8-link=Rob Sheffield |magazine=Rolling Stone| date=October 2, 2017|access-date=October 27, 2017}}{{cite web | url=http://uproxx.com/music/best-tom-petty-songs-ranked/3/ | title=The 20 Best Tom Petty Songs, Ranked|author=Reiff, Corbin |work=Uproxx| date=October 3, 2017|access-date=October 27, 2017}} The song was not released as a single{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers-damn-the-torpedoes/amp/|title=Damn the Torpedoes|website=Pitchfork|access-date=20 November 2018}} except in Australia. The song peaked at #11 on the Billboard lyric find.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers/chart-history/lus/|title=Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Even The Losers Chart History|magazine=Billboard|access-date=20 November 2018}}
Writing and recording
The song was inspired by a night Petty had spent with a woman named Cindy and some friends in his hometown of Gainesville, Florida when he was young. Cindy had been the object of a junior high school crush of his. Unlike in school, Cindy liked him that night. It was also during that night Petty had an epiphany and realized he needed to be in a rock and roll band. The next morning Cindy said their relationship was limited to the previous night. Years later, that night was very much on his mind when he wrote "Even the Losers."{{cite book | last =Zanes | first =Warren | title =Petty: The Biography| publisher =Henry Holt and Company | year =2015 | pages =46–47 | isbn=9780306824388}}
During the recording session, guitarist Mike Campbell struggled to come up with a guitar solo. Petty asked, "Well, what would Chuck Berry do?" Within minutes, the solo was recorded.{{cite book | last =Hartman | first =Kent | title =Goodnight, L.A.: The Rise and Fall of Classic Rock--The Untold Story from inside the Legendary Recording Studios| publisher =Da Capo Press | year =2017| isbn=9780805099690}}
Before the track starts there is a female voice heard saying, "It's just the normal noises in here!" The voice is that of Campbell's wife Marcie from a demo recording Campbell had made in his home, replying after he had complained about the noise of a nearby washing machine.{{cite book | last =Zanes | first =Warren | title =Petty: The Biography| publisher =Henry Holt and Company | year =2015 | pages =154 | isbn=9780306824388}}
Critical reception
Rolling Stone ranked the song at 19 of Petty's greatest songs, ranked above other songs that were successful singles, such as "You Got Lucky" and "Jammin' Me". Corbin Reiff of Uproxx ranked it at 15 of Petty's best songs. The Washington Post included "Even the Losers" on their list of 10 of Petty's best songs.{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/10/03/these-were-tom-pettys-best-songs/| title=These were Tom Petty's best songs|author=Argetsinger, Amy|author-link=Amy Argetsinger|newspaper=The Washington Post| date=October 3, 2017|access-date=October 29, 2017}}
Writing for Uproxx, critic John Kurp wrote, "'Even The Losers' sums up Petty's career more than any other track in his hits-stuff discography" and the song "is the sound of pure pain. It's an ode for anyone stuck in the 'glory days,' for the lovesick fools who can't separate the good times ('We smoked cigarettes and we stared at the moon') from the bad ('I shoulda known right then it was too good to last'), and how much that hurts. And yet, I see 'Even the Losers' as somewhat optimistic."{{cite web | url=http://uproxx.com/music/tom-petty-dead-even-the-losers-concise-storytelling-songwriting/| title=One Of Tom Petty's Minor Hits Summed Up His Incredible Career/|author=Kurp, John |work=Uproxx| date=October 4, 2017|access-date=October 27, 2017}}
Personnel
- Tom Petty – vocals, rhythm guitar
- Mike Campbell – lead guitar
- Ron Blair – bass guitar
- Stan Lynch – drums
- Benmont Tench – piano, organ
Cover versions
- In 2012, Pat Green covered "Even the Losers" for his cover album, Songs We Wish We'd Written II.{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-we-wish-wed-written-vol-2-mw0002365458 |title=Pat Green: Songs We Wish We'd Written, Vol. 2|work=AllMusic}}
- In 2017, Ryan Adams performed the song at the Austin City Limits Music Festival as a tribute to Petty.{{cite web | url=https://www.relix.com/blogs/detail/watch_ryan_adams_pay_tribute_to_tom_petty_with_even_the_losers_at_acl_fest| title=Watch Ryan Adams Pay Tribute to Tom Petty with "Even the Losers" at ACL Fest|author=staff |work=Relix| date=October 16, 2017|access-date=October 29, 2017}}
- Fitz and the Tantrums covered "Even the Losers" for the soundtrack of the 2024 Apple TV+ series Bad Monkey.{{cite web |last1=Breihan |first1=Tom |title=The War On Drugs, Weezer, Sharon Van Etten, & More Cover Tom Petty For Bad Monkey Soundtrack |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2276149/the-war-on-drugs-weezer-sharon-van-etten-more-cover-tom-petty-for-bad-monkey-soundtrack/music/ |website=Stereogum |access-date=18 October 2024}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{TPHeartbreakers}}
{{Authority control}}