Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "The Last DJ": Lyrics that Deserve to be Taken Seriously

The title track from one of their best records, circa 2002. Harrogate has often maitained that these guys get extra kudos for, instead of resting on their "classic rock" laurels, actually improving over time.

This song here has been on Harrogate's mind much lately. Some of it is just due to what a badass song it is. Some because the song touches upon that meme that never tires: that the "human voice" is being elided by converging forces of technology, convenience, and profit share.

And certainly the lyrics transcend radio and pop music. As major media outlets continue to consolidate into a small elite ownership, ideological diversity is getting harder and harder to come by on the radio and on television.

A sad song. Yea, perhaps even an angry song. Harrogate's favorite line: "all the boys upstairs want to see/ How much you’ll pay for what you used to get for free."

But then, there's a triumph to the song as well. An ironic assertion that, despite the "last dj" monicker, there won't really be a "last human voice" until there is a last human.

Well you can’t turn him into a company man
You can’t turn him into a whore
And the boys upstairs just don’t understand anymore
Well the top brass don’t like him talking so much
And he won’t play what they say to play
And he don’t want to change what don’t need to change

And there goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play
And says what he wants to say
Hey, hey, hey
And there goes your freedom of choice
There goes the last human voice
There goes the last DJ


Well some folks say they’re gonna hang him so high
Because you just can’t do what he did
There’s some things you just can’t put in the minds of those kids
As we celebrate mediocrity all the boys upstairs want to see
How much you’ll pay for what you used to get for free


And there goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play
And says what he wants to say
Hey, hey, hey
And there goes your freedom of choice
There goes the last human voice
And there goes the last DJ

(Instrumental break)

Well he got him a station down in Mexico
And sometimes it will kinda come in
And I’ll bust a move and remember how it was back then


There goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play
And says what he wants to say
Hey, hey, hey
And there goes your freedom of choice
There goes the last human voice
And there goes the last DJ