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It's alright if you love me
It's alright if you don't
I'm not afraid of you runnin' away honey
I get the feeling you won't
Say there ain't no sense in pretending
Your eyes give you away
Something inside you is feeling like I do
We said all there is to say
Baby,
Breakdown, go ahead and give it to me
Breakdown, honey, take me through the night
Breakdown, now I'm standin' here, can't you see
Breakdown, it's alright
It's alright, it's alright
Breakdown, go ahead and give it to me
Breakdown, honey, take me through the night
Breakdown, now I'm standin' here, can't you see
Breakdown, it's alright
It's alright, it's alright
| Lazarus (Bethany) | Posted: May 17, 2013 - 13:27 marvelous... |
| Dinges,_the_Dude (below sea-level, N52°37', E4°88') | Posted: Feb 28, 2013 - 07:40 A long time ago, way before internet, a movie called FM about a radiostation was released. This song was one of the songs played in the movie. My favourite band Steely Dan wrote the titlesong, so my special attention was aroused. Many of the songs were good or great (including this one) and I used to listen to copies of the songs which my elder brother had copied for me on a taperecorder (one with large reels of tape). There was some magic about artists (for me esp. Steely Dan) because they never came to Europe so they seemed to only exist in my imagination. Nowadays the world is so much smaller and the magic has gone. Such a pity. |
| LPCity (Salt Lake City, Utah) | Posted: Nov 19, 2012 - 19:17 " I'm gonna handle this like an adult" |
| unclehud (now 50 feet above the planet in Boston) | Posted: Nov 19, 2012 - 19:15 Stingray wrote: because you come from the "Dutch mountess" I went out with a dutch mountess once upon a time ... she was a nine; just like this classic. |
| coloradojohn (A Mile High and then some, Cherry Creek, Denver) | Posted: Nov 19, 2012 - 19:14 I will never forget how the world looked when this came out...and I recall clearly how we had the radio going really good and loud in the back of the room in high school one morning before Mr. Horne's Electronics class when this came in over the airwaves and BLEW US ALL AWAY! Teach strolled in and was grinning as if even HE liked it as he reached over to shut it off. We had all been turned onto this cool, rockin' new stuff by Tom Petty...and it continues to jam for me, like a Rock 'n' Roll Time Machine, right here on good old RP! |
| Stingray | Posted: Oct 19, 2012 - 10:52 rockpommel16 wrote: ....not a great petty fan...but THIS song is a 9.......no doubt..... because you come from the "Dutch mountess" |
| Stingray | Posted: Oct 19, 2012 - 10:51 God would be happy to be a roadie in this incredible band! |
| rockpommel16 (rockpommel´s land...dreaming of netherlands) | Posted: Sep 24, 2012 - 10:38 ....not a great petty fan...but THIS song is a 9.......no doubt..... |
| cactusjo (NZ) | Posted: Aug 12, 2012 - 01:32 I had not heard this song for so so long - "classic" radio stations tend to play other Tom Petty tracks - but not this one - loved it! Thanks! |
| lshinkawa (Berkeley, CA) | Posted: Aug 07, 2012 - 22:05 Dinges,_the_Dude wrote: 8 -> 9 Right on. I actually prefer this to the live version, that we usually hear on rp. |
| Dinges,_the_Dude (below sea-level, N52°37', E4°88') | Posted: Jun 22, 2012 - 01:39 8 -> 9 |
| Proclivities (Carrboro, NC) | Posted: May 21, 2012 - 06:23 lmic wrote: I do think he's underrated as an innovator. Partly because so much of his style is so obviously Byrds-influenced? It seems he writes the majority of his songs in traditional, folk-music, chord structures; whether or not anything is innovative about that is debatable, but that's apparently what he likes, and he does it well. Early on, his music did sound similar to The Byrds (especially when employing his 12-string Rickenbacker), but his influence is more obviously from Bob Dylan - whom The Byrds were overtly influenced by. |
| dw (PHill, CA) | Posted: Apr 19, 2012 - 12:42 I think the live version is better. |
| Chelshite (Bognor Regis, W Sussex, England) | Posted: Apr 03, 2012 - 06:32 This is so dull compared to the Grace Jones version. |
| iTuner | Posted: Mar 02, 2012 - 14:04 Overplayed to a snivelling death. Petty has many tunes that stand up or are superior to this song. |
| Dinges,_the_Dude (under sea-level, N52°22', E4°52') | Posted: Dec 14, 2011 - 13:45 vandal wrote: I'll second that emotion. . . count me in too |
| shellbella (so california) | Posted: Dec 14, 2011 - 13:43  |
| vandal (arriving somewhere, but not here. . .) | Posted: Oct 12, 2011 - 07:23 adroc wrote: Timeless. I'll second that emotion. . . |
| willbrett | Posted: Oct 12, 2011 - 07:22 such a good track. |
| MiracleDrug (Earth) | Posted: Jun 08, 2011 - 10:25 the epitome of 70's cool... |
| Foot | Posted: May 07, 2011 - 19:59 Been w/ TP since 1976, but he'd nothing w/out Mike Campbell. Brilliant! |
| rjewyo (Ventura, CA) | Posted: Feb 02, 2011 - 09:30 adroc wrote: Timeless. So true...saw him in Irvine, CA last October. Hadn't seen him in concert since 1983...God, it was great! |
| jameyp (New York via Austin) | Posted: Feb 02, 2011 - 09:29 Nothin but love for the Petty!  |
| adroc (T dot O dot) | Posted: Dec 01, 2010 - 11:16 Timeless. |
| Albert1967 (Leusden, the Netherlands) | Posted: Jun 25, 2010 - 06:21 azdcryan wrote: have always been fond of the searing guitars on this one...TP and his mates are just so solid. Not much to touch it. |
| Stingray (EUROPE) | Posted: May 24, 2010 - 10:28 It's alright that we love you, Tom! |
| peacockangel (Phoenix) | Posted: May 24, 2010 - 10:28 oh she runs lol believe me |
| azdcryan (Sunny Arizona) | Posted: Mar 08, 2010 - 12:17 have always been fond of the searing guitars on this one...TP and his mates are just so solid. |
| toterola (Further) | Posted: Feb 18, 2010 - 12:29 h8rhater wrote: It's true that Less than Zero debut in March 1977 but only as a single. The album My Aim Is True was not released until July 1977 and then only in the UK. The US release was March 1978. So BillG is closer to correct when he says that TP predates Elvis by nearly 2 years. EC came out at the beginning of the New Wave era of the late 70's/early 80's. TP predates that era by coming out as a late classic rocker in the mid-70s. Any similarity between the two is coincidental and likely the result of some h8r, like billybob here whose interest can't be held by the likes of lowly Tom Petty, trying to make a connection at the expense of TP. Hey, I love EC and Tom! Let's celebrate all the good music, and leave these squabbles to be sorted out by history. Both of these guys have become pillars in the modern music pantheon, changing styles and sounds like a chameleon changes colors. There are very few artists who can pull that off. Thank God I've had both of them to listen to for all these years.  |
| h8rhater | Posted: Jan 04, 2010 - 13:52 billybob123 wrote: I also think of this album as of the same era as Elvis Costello's first album; however, EC continued (and continues) to hold my interest, TP did not. It's true that Less than Zero debut in March 1977 but only as a single. The album My Aim Is True was not released until July 1977 and then only in the UK. The US release was March 1978. So BillG is closer to correct when he says that TP predates Elvis by nearly 2 years. EC came out at the beginning of the New Wave era of the late 70's/early 80's. TP predates that era by coming out as a late classic rocker in the mid-70s. Any similarity between the two is coincidental and likely the result of some h8r, like billybob here whose interest can't be held by the likes of lowly Tom Petty, trying to make a connection at the expense of TP. |
| billybob123 (Southern California) | Posted: Dec 17, 2009 - 17:00 I also think of this album as of the same era as Elvis Costello's first album; however, EC continued (and continues) to hold my interest, TP did not. |
| TimeWaster (The lower of the two Dakotas) | Posted: Dec 04, 2009 - 04:47 This song does have one weakness... it's TOO SHORT! |
| lmic (Limpid Drivel of the Best Kind) | Posted: Oct 15, 2009 - 20:31 I do think he's underrated as an innovator. Partly because so much of his style is so obviously Byrds-influenced? |
| von_Hayek (Fr-Su Duesseldorf, Mo-Th Magdeburg) | Posted: Sep 14, 2009 - 06:40 starfishNcoffee wrote: I think that Tom Petty is the last real rock star.  Well said... |
| spacemoose | Posted: Sep 14, 2009 - 06:38 BillG wrote: This predates Elvis C.'s first album by at least 2 years. Actually, the debut date of breakdown is nov 1976, while "Less than Zero" had its debut on March 1977, so there's only a 4 month gap. On the other hand, although it is possible that Tom P. saw elvis performing live at some point in the three years prior to the release of Breakdown and though "hey, that's hot stuff, let's try and sound like that", I would say it's pretty unlikely. |
| df1489 | Posted: Aug 13, 2009 - 18:38 Awesome... |
| d00kie (In Cubicle Hell!) | Posted: Jun 29, 2009 - 10:36 Breakdown It's alright!  |
| BillG (Paradise, CA) | Posted: Jun 29, 2009 - 10:29 davin wrote: do you think he's trying to sound like elvis costello in this tune? This predates Elvis C.'s first album by at least 2 years. |
| WayUpNorth (Mt. Katahdin) | Posted: Jun 11, 2009 - 07:47 Takes me back to an party at some strangers' house, laying next to the turntable at 4 AM playing this album over and over again with the volume turned down real low so I didn't wake anyone up, thinking I needed to tell everyone I met about this amazing band, what year, like 1976??? Yikes, I am old!!! |
| Dinges,_the_Dude (under sea-level, N52°22', E4°52') | Posted: Jun 11, 2009 - 07:46 Great song! |
| On_The_Beach (Vancouver, Canada) | Posted: Apr 09, 2009 - 00:51 Great song. His first single and arguably his best. So slinky and sleazy . . . in a GOOD way! |
| starfishNcoffee (Brooklyn, NY) | Posted: Jan 04, 2009 - 06:54 I think that Tom Petty is the last real rock star. |
| belalugosi (Bogotá (Colombia)) | Posted: Jul 30, 2008 - 10:53 Petty, the best! |
| birdland (Right about....here.) | Posted: May 28, 2008 - 10:19 Yea, this tune, the rest of the original album, and Hard Promises. The pinnacle of the Petty years for me. |
| ArbiterOfGoodTaste (Seattle, WA) | Posted: May 28, 2008 - 10:17 Sick tune. |
| slartibart_O (N29°57'-W97°34') | Posted: Jan 23, 2008 - 12:50 Is Tom really appropriate Superbowl half-time show material? But then ZZ just played the Orange Bowl. Bizarro. |
| redeyespy (Haven of calm) | Posted: Nov 21, 2007 - 15:43 Striking tune, still. Tom's vocal has real power and urgency here. |
| keller1 (Taco Bell is a phone company in Mexico) | Posted: Sep 19, 2007 - 21:11 meloman wrote: One of the few Tom Petty tunes I can actually stand.
Ditto. |
| TimeWaster | Posted: Aug 19, 2007 - 11:30 That would be the Wurlitzer Electric Piano - Benmont Tench loves his Wurlitzer. Donald Fagen used a lot of the Wurli on earlier Dan recordings, then "moved up" to the Fender Rhodes on the later stuff, many times with a phaser effect. meloman wrote: One of the few Tom Petty tunes I can actually stand. Maybe because it has a Steely Dan sound in the background. |
| jbnugent | Posted: Jul 05, 2007 - 13:14 kcar wrote: I can remember when this song first came out--a lot of people thought Tom was a punk rocker because of the stripped-down sound. A live version came out around the same time, recorded in a small club; the crowd was in a frenzy. And then he started putting out stuff like "The Waiting Is The Hardest Part" and some fans got turned off. One common nickname for the band back then was Tom Pathetic and the Wind-breakers. I have been looking for the "small club" version of Breakdown for years. I remember it being played on a local radio station (Jacksonville, FL) several times in the early to mid 80's. I was beginning to think I had imagined it. I distinctly remember it having a very intimate sound to it. I also seem to remember a brief Casa Dega segue in the song? I wish I could track down a recording of that performance... Anybody have a clue where it might be found? Thanks- Jimmy Nugent |