Breakdown: A look inside Tom Petty's 7 best lyrics of all time

You can find inspiration in almost any line from “I Won’t Back Down,” but this lyric hits the hardest as it serves as a great reminder to keep on pushing, especially during tough times.

Petty delivers a great line about the values of patience and how difficult the journey is before you reach your end goal.

“Learning To Fly” is a truly inspirational piece of work that continues Petty’s theme of dealing with the hardships of life and coming out better on the other side.

One of the things that makes Petty a brilliant storyteller is his ability to leave things open for interpretation. He does just that in “Into the Great Wide Open” all while painting a beautiful picture.

The beautiful opening line of “Breakdown” puts into words so well the vibe of a romantic encounter where a connection undoubtedly exists, regardless of how much uncertainty there may be between two people.

Although the song was written about an experience Petty’s wife had at a party thrown by Ike Turner, the sentiment of the song and this line holds strong and slams any guy who doesn’t regard a woman’s feelings.

Closing out our list we continue with a theme prominently found in Petty’s work. The importance of chasing your dream no matter what route it takes to get there.