Room At The Top

This is a song that Petty won't sing in concert; because he said it reminds him of an extremely low place in his life. I think it's a sad, lonely song, in which, drugs and alcohol were his accommodations.

IwriteToo is right. During the recording of Tom's Echo album he was dealing with a lot of stress, divorcing his old wife, and inevitable existentialism. According to many of the Heartbreakers band mates and Tom's closest friends he was having a very difficult time coping. There was even a point in his life where he lived in a chicken coop with nothing but heroine and a scruffy beard. Many people think that because of all this, his Echo album reflects a sad depressing point in his life and is therefor one of his least successful albums. In my opinion the album shines through with a gleam of hope in all of the songs. Echo is actually one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time. Regardless, Room At The Top is unarguably an essentially significant song in Tom Petty's collection of songs on an American dream.

For me Room At The Top shows how a very wide range of emotions can be expressed in the one song. It's about someone who’s found a calm space — literally a space — where he can be at peace, away from whatever troubles he’s experienced (we don’t know what they are), and have his friends round for a drink, and relax, and feel satisfied with his $1000 in the bank. And yet he’s still yearning for the woman who’s “so far away” and begging her to love him back. So he’s still not really where he wants to be and for all his defiance (“I ain’t coming down”) we, and he, know he still has more to get right, and it’s still a sad, sad song.

All this in 6 minutes in concert (the Fillmore or Rockpalast in 1999 — not true that he never did it live) or 5 in the album version. Wonderful.

love this song

this song makes you feel really good when you listen to it after a great day. tom petty has it all figured out

IwriteToo, where did you hear that? I would like to know more...

Pinkfloyd4241 is quite the intelligent/introspective one! Thanks for the additional information. I read that Gwyneth Paltrow saw him play about 5 nights in a row somewhere/somehow, and requested that song every time; and, every time; he refused. He's such a magnificent songwriter, itt kills me... (or, in this case; Wrecks Me).

TP is am incredible writer and can cut right into a person's soul. This song does that for me..it truly moves me..

I was surprised to see that people interpret it as a sad song. I was recently in a similar position as TP, no drugs though - just completely heartbroken. Which all came back to me when hearing it a few days ago. And to me it's more of a hopeful / defiant song and not so sad. He's finally found the way to deal with his situation and feelings, and decided to dig his heels in and defend that state - though his inside is still in a turmoil, of course.

The lines "I got someone who loves me tonight" - someone may even be himself !? "I got over a thousand dollars in the bank" - adjusting to reality, it's not so bad "And I'm all right" - adjusting again, no open wounds, no broken legs :) "Look deep in the eyes of love Look deep in the eyes of love And find out what you were looking for" - final readjustment, setting new goals or returning to previous goals. I couldn't have HER, but there may be someone better.

"Please love me, I'm not so bad And I love you so " - is a heartbreaking relapse due to the inner turmoil, but he catches himself immediately with

"I got a room at the top of the world tonight And I ain't comin' down, no I ain't comin' down" - like a mantra, I know how to deal with it. I'm not letting myself get dragged down again.

Just my two cents, it's a powerful song anyway!

"Yeah like they do in those things on TV." You mean shows? Doesn't seem like that difficult of a word to come up with. Great song though. Love the "thousand dollars in the bank" line