Insider
 

Written by T. Petty; Sung by T. Petty and S. Nicks
 

You've got a dangerous background
And everything you've dreamed of
Yeah, you're the Dark Angel
It don't show when you break up

And I'm the one who oughta know
Yeah, I'm the one left in the dust
Oh, I'm the broken-hearted fool
Who was never quite enough

I'm an insider
I've been burned by the fire
And I've had to live with some hard promises
I've crawled through the briars
I'm an insider

It's a circle of deception
It's a hall of strangers
It's a cage without a key
You can feel the danger

And I'm the one who oughta know
Yeah, I'm the one you couldn't trust
Oh, I'm the lonely, sad one
I'm the one left in the dust

I'm an insider
I've been burned by the fire
And I've had to live with some hard promises
I've crawled through the briars
I'm an insider

I'll bet you're his masterpiece
I'll bet you're his self-control
Yeah, you'll become his legacy
His quiet world of white and gold

And I'm the one who oughta know
Yeah, I'm the one you left to rust
Not one of your twisted friends
I'm the one you couldn't love

I'm an insider
I've been burned by the fire
And I've had to live with some hard promises
I've crawled through the briars
I'm an insider
I'm an insider

Live Version Appears on "Pack Up the Plantation - Live!" (1984) by Tom Petty

WEBMISTRESS speculates:

This duet follows the style of I Don't Want to Know in that Tom and Stevie harmonize throughout. Don't they sound great together? I love all of their songs together, but this is my favorite.

 

KELLY speculates:

About the face Lindsey puts on. He's the insider, he's projecting that image, but it's just an image that at the end of the day leaves him lonely. It's a conversation, written from the point of Lindsey - to himself, but of course by two people who know him. What a cruel trick.

 

Hard Promises | SN Albums