Coming Down Is the Hardest Thing

Tom Petty in the 1990s

I used to say that John Mellencamp was a poor man’s Tom Petty, that Petty was a poor man’s Bruce Springsteen, and that Springsteen was a poor man’s Bob Dylan.

I was so stupid.*

*Bad comparisons, but I maintain that Mellencamp sucks. “Jack and Diane” suuuuucks. The lyric “Suckin' on chilli dog outside the Tastee Freez” makes me nauseous.

I love Petty now.…