Sam Smith Looks Back With Regret on Never Replying to Tom Petty’s Letter Over ‘Stay with Me’ Credit
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Smith now believes Petty’s message was meant to offer understanding and reassurance during a difficult moment. Looking back, they feel the letter was actually a thoughtful gesture from the late musician, who was trying to acknowledge what Smith was experiencing and express sympathy for the situation.
Sam Smith is looking back on a moment involving the late Tom Petty that they now wish they had handled differently.
The 34-year-old singer, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, discussed the songwriting dispute surrounding their hit “Stay with Me” during the Aug. 26 episode of the Alchemy with Anthony Mason podcast.
Smith recalled receiving a personal letter from Petty the night before the Grammys. At the time, they admitted, they were frustrated when they read it. Smith explained that “Stay with Me” had been written in a basement in London and that they had never heard Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” before creating the song.
The controversy centered on a brief musical similarity between the two tracks. Smith pointed out that the disputed portion consisted of only three notes. They also remembered Petty acknowledging in his letter that there are only so many notes available on a piano, which left Smith wondering why the situation had escalated.
Despite their initial frustration, Smith eventually agreed in October 2014 to share songwriting credit with Petty and provide him with a portion of the royalties from “Stay with Me.”
With more distance and age, however, Smith now views Petty’s actions differently. They said they understand that the situation involved more than just Petty and believe the rocker was attempting to show empathy rather than attack them.
Smith now interprets the letter as Petty’s way of acknowledging the difficult circumstances surrounding the dispute and expressing sympathy. Looking back, they described the gesture as genuinely kind and thoughtful.
That realization has also left Smith wishing they had replied. Petty died at age 66 in October 2017, and Smith said they deeply regret never sending him a response.
Smith explained that they were only 22 at the time and described their younger self as a “sassy” queer kid, but now believe they should have taken the opportunity to write back to Petty.
Petty himself appeared to have no lasting resentment over the matter. In a 2015 statement published on his website, he characterized the resemblance between the songs as an accidental musical occurrence and said such situations can happen.
He also explained that his team and Smith’s representatives were able to resolve the issue amicably. Petty emphasized that a lawsuit had never been his goal and said the matter was ultimately settled without hostility.
Smith has since made an effort to become more familiar with Petty’s music. Having grown up listening to artists including Stevie Wonder, George Michael and various “girl pop” performers, the singer said they eventually began exploring Petty’s catalog and recently performed his song “It’ll All Work Out” during a live appearance.