"I Won't Back Down" is a song by American rock musician Tom Petty. It was released in April 1989 as the lead single from his first solo album, Full Moon Fever. The song was co-written by Petty and Jeff Lynne, also his writing partner for the album. It reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Album Rock Tracks chart for five weeks, starting the album's road to multi-platinum status.

Petty recalled the recording of this song to Mojo magazine: "At the session George Harrison sang and played the guitar. I had a terrible cold that day, and George went to the store and bought a ginger root, boiled it and had me stick my head in the pot to get the ginger steam to open up my sinuses, and then I ran in and did the take."

Lyrics

Well, I won't back down

No, I won't back down

You can stand me up at the gates of hell

But I won't back down

No, I'll 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

(I won't back down) Hey, baby

There ain't no easy way out

(I won't back down) 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

(I won't back down) Hey, baby

There ain't no easy way out

(I won't back down) Hey, I

Will stand my ground

(I won't back down) And I won't back down

(I won't back down) Hey, baby

There ain't no easy way out

(I won't back down) Hey, I

Won't back down

(I won't back down) Hey, baby

There ain't no easy way out

(I won't back down) Hey, I

Will stand my ground

(I won't back down) And I won't back down

(I won't back down) No, I won't back down