Song: “Keep a Little Soul”
A long-lost Petty treasure, it is a good reminder for these days of ours
When Tom Petty died unexpectedly in 2017, he left behind a sizable vault of unreleased material. In 2018, his estate released An American Treasure, a boxed set including several rare and unreleased songs alongside more obscure album tracks. It all showcased Petty’s songwriting gifts.
Initially recorded in 1982, “Keep A Little Soul” didn’t make the cut for the album Long After Dark. The first song released in support of An American Treasure, it’s a gem. Featuring a brightness in both the lyrical content and musical arrangement, the song bounces along, reassuring us that if we keep a little soul, a lot of the turmoil around us may not feel as irksome.
Nothing matters (it doesn’t matter)
Ohhh (it doesn’t matter)
I say you keep a little soul
And nothing really matters anymore
(It doesn’t matter)
Ohhh (it doesn’t matter)
Honey, keep a little soul
And nothing’s gonna matter anymore
The video starts with footage of Petty as a child, with his parents. It then follows him as a rock star with found footage from various places. It’s fun to watch.
My band played this song at an outdoor venue last summer, and it went over really well. We need to dust it off. The challenge with covering Petty’s music is that he was such a brilliant songwriter that even 3-4 hours of his music played live leaves far too little room to explore even the top level of material.
- For instance, more than a year ago I featured another song left on the cutting room floor from the Long After Dark sessions, and it’s another great one.
That’s it today. Keep a little soul.
Enjoy!