Square One

I love this song - as I do most of his! I dedicated this song to a very close person in my life who struggled with adddiction - he always felt like he might as well continue on the same path because there was no way to really start over - the lyrics here remind him that you can always start over

Had to find some higher ground Had some fear to get around You can't say what you don't know Later on won't work no more

Last time through I hid my tracks So well I could not get back Yeah my way was hard to find Can't sell your soul for piece of mind...... BRILLIANT

This song is about a person who lived through extended low points in life and was stuck there until things got so bad that they had to "find some higher ground" to move away from their situation to improve perspective and awareness from the "higher ground." This is potentially referencing water, because higher ground is where you go in floods and the concept of "water under the bridge" which eludes to struggles that one needs to get away from, even temporarily, to see how much they were affected by their situation. Conversely, things that are "water under the bridge" can no longer affect or harm you.

When you are recovering from the shock of living in those lows and potentially drowning in the waters below, the person "had some fear to get around" because the were so disoriented from their true selves. However, when you come to your senses, "You can't say what you don't know" because hindsight is 20/20 and you learned your wrongdoings or a lesson so "later on, [the excuses and illusions] won't work no more." This means that when you lose yourself the first time, it's not your fault, but to forgive yourself and learn from mistakes when your realize they are made and to improve; because you are a learned person now and hence responsible for yourself in a way you weren't before.

"Last time through, I hid my tracks" means that this person was ashamed of not being adequate or where he or she was supposed to be in life, that they kept avoiding the situation or problem and lacked any sense of direction, that they became lost. This is another way of saying that lying to yourself is so easy and you lie to yourself "so well that you could not get back" to reality. Lying about who you are makes it harder to heal and hence why "yeah, my way was hard to find" because you are in fact hiding from yourself and delaying yourself from where you need to be. There is no price and value on the peace of mind, hence why you "can't sell your soul for a piece of mind" because you are being so dishonest with yourself that no matter how much you do against your own morals or beliefs, you will never be at peace, because you know the truth, but are avoiding it.

The chorus is simple, yet deep, horrifying, and vulnerable. "Square one, my slate is clear" means that the person has gone in a huge circle to be where they once were, but with a lot less or fewer resources and after having wasted so much time in the process that it is heartbreaking not only for them, but the friends that left. A clean slate is also a religious nod for which we are judged or redeemed with clean slates and a new beginning. For the friends that are still around, "rest your head on me, my dear" is as to say thank you and now you can rest after everything I put you through when I was lost and struggling. The person is now healthy enough to take care of themselves and those who stayed around. "It took a world of trouble, and a world of tears. It took a long time, to get back here." means that the struggle and shame trouble not only the person, but everyone to the extent that it affected their "world" in which they were emotionally struggling separately, but together. Now things have come full circle and the person has a lot of time and hurt feelings to make up for.

"Try so hard to stand alone. Struggle to see past my nose" is the person's reflection of the past and that they bit more than they could chew and lost sight of the truth or what mattered in life. "Always had more dogs than bones" means that the person had more hardship than fortune in their life. "I could never wear those clothes" is a deep one as it could mean that the clothes or facade that they wore were fake so as to impress others or fit in or that they imagined themselves in better clothing that was not worn down and tattered from a life that was hard. In effect, clothes are how you express and present yourself to the world; this person wanted to change into a new outfit.

The "dark victory" is referring to the Pyrrhic Victory in which you spend so much to win, that the notion of winning is lessened because of what you spent. For example, winning a million dollar lottery if a dark victory, if you spent a million dollars and strained your relationships with everyone and sold all of your belongings just to make back what you lost and thus being at square one again. This is summed up in "You won and you also lost." The next line "told her you were satisfied, but it never came across" is probably the more difficult line to provide context to as it may be personal, but it is assumed that there is a trust issue in the person's relationship with a significant other, because they both suffered to go around in a big circle. Now the person is "satisfied, but it never came across" means that what they say is not always trusted or the same anymore, but they are working on it and have to recover together.

My personal synopsis is that there was a man who endured some type of hardship such a financial hardship, a layoff, a house fire, an addiction, infidelity, or a death etc that made them lose themselves. Now that the are on the up and up, he looks around in horror at the people he has hurt. He regrets that he has to start back at square one, but thankful for the few that still remain by his side, when he's embarrassed and shamed himself when he was in a rut. Even though he is at square one again, he now knows more than when he was at square one the first time.

This is a great song Cameron Crowe had Tom Petty write and perform for the movie Elizabethtown. It was nominated for best song written for a motion picture for the Grammies. Cameron Crowe also had Tom Petty write and perform a song called Jack that was not used in the movie or in any of the three soundtracks.

I love this song... it is so simple and melodic and totally relateable. It makes me cry. I didn't know Tom Petty's voice could be so sweet. I think there is an error in the lyrics, though. "Last time through I HID my tracks so WELL I could not get back"

even though this is a newer tom petty song i still love it. I think its about a guy whos had huge problems in life: money problems "more dogs than bones": a dog is a fight or problem and bone is a reference to a dollar so he has more fights with people than money. and decides to go home (you can take the boy from the small town, but you cant take the small town from the boy concept)

ps. i LOVE this song

These should now be the somewhat correct lyrics, all the lyrics available on the web are off a bit.

This song is a good sample of Tom Pettys' solo album: Highway Companion out sometime this spring.

Wonderful song. So relatetable and great lyrics, Tom Petty is fantastic!

"Square one, my slate is clear Rest your head on me, my dear" love it :)

"Can't sell your soul for piece of mind, Always had more dogs than bones " these statements always seem so true! Petty really hit the spot with this one! I LOVE IT

This is absolute proof that Tom Petty's voice hasnt lost its essence yet, though some people still like to think so. If i had to pick my favorite song for Highway Companion this would be it.

BTW, Elizabethtown is such an incredible movie and the soundtrack just makes it all that much better.

"Always had more dogs than bones I could never wear those clothes" he is referring to throwing a dog a bone....which means he owed alot of dogs a bone...lol its about debt and trying to get past your past