In my prievious entry of the Beatles' song "Nowhere Man", I discussed what it feels like to be the odd-man-out. The hard part about that label is that you get the feeling that you don't belong anywhere or with anyone. You get the feeling to be part of the majority,you have to do as they do, sacrificing everything that you are in the process. I guess that's the reason why I was pretty much a loner when I was young. Looking back, I realize it doesn't have to be that way and people can accept you for who you are. Tom Petty's song "Refugee" reminds me of that lesson.
I have to thank my brother's friend for introducing me to Tom's music when he borrowed his Greatest Hits album. For me, this song talks about accepting yourself and not being afraid of what others think about you. The trick is all about respect begets respect which leads to live and let live. If they don't reciprocate, then to hell with it, I'll live my life the way I want to so long as I don't hurt or offend anyone else. There's a difference between living in the shadows and hiding in the shadows and I won't do the latter.
Apart from what I mentioned in the above paragragh, there are a lot of other reasons why I like this song. The keyboards, combined with the other instruments and Petty's strong vocals gives this song a powerful punch. And again, it was always played when me and my brothers as well as the gang, gathered together for a night of good drinks, "good stuff" and great company. This song always reminds me that you should not only accept yourself, but also be proud of who you are. Most of all, it's a really cool song that remains one of my favorites to this day.
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