This Poignant Tom Petty Lyric From 1999 Depicts Love as a Crime

Tom Petty’s 1999 song “Accused Of Love” pairs a bright, lively arrangement with lyrics about love turning painful and leaving people feeling judged or guilty. Written during a period when Petty was beginning a new relationship while still dealing with the end of his first marriage, the song reflects the emotional tensions behind his album Echo.

Petty said he found the title while playing the song to Dana York, his future second wife, at about five in the morning. Its references to attorneys, witnesses and court proceedings suggest a relationship breaking down, though the lyrics can also be read as concern about others judging someone for moving on. The shift from “I” to “we” in the final refrain suggests both people share the burden of what has gone wrong.