Released: November 9, 1976

Songwriter: Tom Petty Mike W. Campbell

Producer: Denny Cordell

"Refugee" is a late-70s song recorded by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, written by band members Tom Petty (lyrics) and Mike Campbell (music). It was released in January 1980 as the second single from their 1979 album "Damn the Torpedoes". It peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1980. Read more on Last.fm.

Length: 4:26

Some friends of mine and me stayed up all through the night
Rocking pretty steady till the sky went light
And didn't go to bed
Didn't go to work
I picked up the telephone
Told the boss he was a jerk
Your mama don't like it when you run around
With me
But we got to hip your mama
That you got to live free
Don't need her. Don't need school
You don't like your daddy and you don't like rules

So, come on baby let's go
Don't you hear the rock 'n' roll playing on the radio
Sound so right?
Girl your better grab hold
Everybody's got to know
Anything that's rock 'n' roll's fine [x2]

Oh oo oh my little baby
I'm a little bit shaking
I'm a little bit crazy
But I know what I want
I want to it right now
While the electric guitars are playing way up loud

(Chorus)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – an L.A.-based gang of sharp-dressed garage-rock refugees from Gainsville, Florida – released their debut LP in November 1976, featuring two tracks which are now part of their long list of hits, “Breakdown” and “American Girl.”

Since that first LP in ‘76, the band’s style has epitomized and largely defined the American “heartland rock” movement – a vintage-guitar twang, hard lyric truth, and searing vocal attitude.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been nominated for 17 Grammy awards and sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all-time.