I keep a number of reference lists handy, things like a vacation packing list, books to read, restaurants to try, and so on. One of my lists is Songs for Poker. I don’t have these songs downloaded and organized into an actual playlist, but occasionally I’ll hear a song and something about the theme or lyrics makes me think about some aspect of poker and I put it on the list.
First on the list is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ classic I Won’t Back Down. Now Tom is gone. May this rock & roll legend rest in peace. He passed away yesterday at the age of 66 following a cardiac arrest.
As much as I love this song, having it on the top of your mind at a crucial moment of a poker game is downright awful. Facing a big raise or re-raise, you are usually going to lose. I mentioned this song in a blog post a couple of years ago, that bears repeating here, in explaining that backing down is exactly what a good poker player does.
Well I won’t back down, no I won’t back down
You could stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won’t back down
Gonna stand my ground, won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won’t back down
[Chorus:]
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down
Well I know what’s right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around
But I’ll stand my ground and I won’t back down
Hey baby there ain’t no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down
No, I won’t back down
Feeling a great loss over Tom Petty’s passing. Maybe I Won’t Back Down should go on a different list — songs I hope other players have on their minds when I have the nuts. In looking at a list of Tom Petty songs, we could make a whole list based on titles that could be about poker. I expect to be listening to a lot of Tom Petty in the coming days for sure:
- Don’t Do Me Like That
- Don’t Fade on Me
- Even the Losers
- Free Fallin’
- I Need to Know
- Jammin’ Me
- Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around
- Turn This Car Around
- Yer So Bad
- You Got Lucky
- You Wreck Me
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