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We’re pressing play on a brand new season of The Story Behind the Song! The podcast series that finds legendary artists taking listeners through the history behind their most iconic songs is back for Season 4, with upcoming guests including DEVO, Heart, Sublime, Counting Crows, Gloria Gaynor, and more. To kick things off, guitarist and songwriter Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers joins host Peter Csathy to break down their beloved 1979 track “Refugee.” Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts, or watch video of the complete interview below.
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Campbell dives deep into the story of “Refugee” from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ album Damn the Torpedoes, taking us behind the scenes of the song’s creation and sharing how a spontaneous demo led to one of the band’s greatest hits. Starting with his early influences, Campbell reflects on how a simple four-track recording at home – created just for fun – laid the foundation for “Refugee.” He recounts how the music flowed naturally from his love for Albert King’s guitar sound, and how Tom Petty’s lyrics brought the song to life.
“I gave him a cassette [with the demo] and he went home, and I’ve heard from his family that he would sit and play the cassette over and over and hum along to it and try to grab a spark of some sort,” Campbell says of the lyrics. “The lyric is so powerful and it’s timeless, you know? It’s going on today, and that’s what’s so beautiful about. A lot of people connect with, ‘You gotta live your life, and don’t let the big man push you down. Don’t have to live like a refugee. Keep fighting for what you believe .’ And that was Tom, that was just from his soul… a very pure place and a place of hope and redemption.”
Meanwhile, the episode also touches on his personal journey, from his deep admiration for Bob Dylan and his incredible moment performing with George Harrison and Ringo Starr, to the writing of his new memoir, Heartbreaker. Campbell opens up about his lasting partnership with Petty, as wll as the joy of his current band, The Dirty Knobs (who are touring with Blackberry Smoke and Shannon McNally this summer; get tickets here!).
Listen to Mike Campbell discuss the making of “Refugee” above or on your favorite podcast platform. You can also watch the full interview below. Then make sure to follow The Story Behind the Song, and rate and review on Apple Podcasts.
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Fans of the podcast can also check out out SBTS merch, including a killer poster and jigsaw puzzle, available on the Consequence Shop or via the buy now buttons below! Follow host Peter Csathy on Threads at @pcsathy and at Deep Cuts Media, and keep up with the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows.
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