BATTLE ROYALE: TOM PETTY v. JOHN MAYER

I listened to Tom Petty’s Wildflowers one morning last week amidst being up to my eyeballs in Annual Report form 10-Ks. If you don’t know what a 10-K is, consider yourself lucky.
​
As I listened to Mr. Petty and the other Heartbreakers, I was reminded of an age-old debate amongst me and my friends. It hails all the way back to high school. To the days when John Mayer ruled the airwaves. It is the debate of whose version is better: Tom petty or John Mayer. I am going to travel back in time to the minds of the young Music Outlet Mall crew and break down this debate as we broke it down back then and then I will travel back to the future and compare it to how I feel now.

THE BREAKDOWN CIRCA 2008/2009

Ed: John Mayer is the greatest guitarist and musician alive. I only listen to his entire discography all day, every day, and if anyone disagrees with me, I will bully them into submission or at the very least make them feel like the stupidest person on the planet. I am a fiery ginger who knows all. (Ed legitimately almost fought a girl on this issue. Not actually fight, but it was the most heated I have ever seen him. That’s not true, but probably in the top ten.)

Seth: My parents had terrible taste in music, and I definitely heard the John Mayer version first, so I like that one more. Plus, I’m incredibly afraid of Ed and would rather not be bullied.

Patrick: I might say Tom Petty, but just to see Ed's reaction. I won’t be in your face about liking the John Mayer version like Ed though because I am the only emotionally mature person in this group.

Zach: Ed is my ride or die. I can’t disagree with him even if I did disagree with him. I can’t wait to team up with him in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and kill everyone so me and him and have our final face-off every single time. I am the yin to his yang, the idi to his ot (that spells idiot). (Note: I am in no way still bitter about them teaming up in Super Smash Bros.)

Sam: I’m not part of the group yet. I would take Seth’s stance since I get bullied enough as it is.

I feel obligated to say that at the time we, as well as the majority of the world, we’re still under the spell of John Mayer’s raspy, seductive, he-wants-to-take-us-on-a-tour-of-our-body’s-own-wonderland voice.

Now to deep dive into this issue, I did the only reasonable thing a person could do to decide which one is better: I made a playlist of the two songs and put it on repeat for an hour. Which ever one I got less annoyed with at the end of the hour was going to be the winner (I actually did this).

The result: I love Tom Petty, but I actually like John Mayer’s version better.

THE BREAKDOWN 2022

​Time to breakout the trusty ole yellow legal pad!

Tom Petty Pros:

• ​The original. You always get bonus point for being the original
• The voice strain on the chorus. The way he says “free” adds a sense of desperation to the song
• The backup vocals are funny to me. There’s no explanation to this
• Tom Petty, as petty as he and his estate are in legal battles, is a badass

Tom Petty Cons:​

• It’s a little slower
• The lyrics to the verses are ridiculous. He may get credit for being the original, but that also means you are responsible for the lyrics

---

John Mayer Pros:

• ​His voice, as mentioned above, is raspy and seductive
• His guitar playing on the song is a perfect compliment
• The lyrics seem less ridiculous coming from someone who also sings about your body being a wonderland
• The bridge is better

John Mayer Cons:

• ​See Tom Petty Pro #1. It’s a cover. Credit goes to the original
• John Mayer is a known narcissist and douche (but I still kind of love him)

In case you are wondering, over a decade later, we all still have the same takes on which we like more. But at the end of the day, they’re two entirely different songs. It’s purely a matter of subjective taste. But know this, Ed will still try to fight you on it.