Music Friday: Tom Petty Wants Her More Than Diamonds or Gold in 1991's 'Built to Last'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we feature Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performing “Built to Last” from their 1991 2X platinum-selling album, Into the Great Wide Open.

In this song about a couple whose love has endured both the good and bad times, frontman Petty sings, “I want her more than diamonds / I want her more than gold / I want her more than anything anyone could hold.”

In the next verse, he adds, “We were built to last / On until forever / The world is changing fast / But our love was built to last.”

Although the song was never released as a single, it was a favorite of concert-goers. In a rare clip (below) from a 1991 performance in Oakland, CA, enthusiastic fans can be heard singing along with Petty and his bandmates.

“Built to Last” was co-written by Petty and Jeff Lynne, the frontman for Electric Light Orchestra. It was the 12th track on Into the Great Wide Open, an album that sold nearly 3 million copies worldwide and rose to #13 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart. A Rolling Stone critic wrote at the time that the album features Petty’s best lyrics. The album spawned two #1 hits, “Learning to Fly” and “Out in the Cold.”

Established in 1976 in Gainesville, Fla., Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were still rocking' in 2017 when Petty died of an accidental overdose one week after the end of the Heartbreakers' 40th Anniversary Tour. The singer had been taking medications to alleviate pain from a serious hip injury.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have sold more than 80 million records worldwide, putting them high in the ranks of the world’s best-selling bands. Petty was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 91st on its list of the Greatest Artists of All Time.

We welcome you to check out the rare clip of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ live performance of “Built to Last.” The video actually features two songs, “Built to Last” and “Makin’ Some Noise.” Our featured song leads off the double bill. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

“Built to Last”
Written by Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty. Performed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Somewhere out my doorway
Somewhere down my block
I can hear her heartbeat
In rhythm with my clock
I want her more than diamonds
I want her more than gold
I want her more than anything anyone could hold

We were built to last
On until forever
The world is changing fast
But our love was built to last

She has followed me down
Along those empty streets
She has followed me where the rain would fall in sheets
And I know I been changing
Changing like the wind
I was feeling burned out
I got tired of it

We were built to last
On until forever
The world is changing fast
But our love was built to last

So come to me my darlin’
Hold me while I sleep
I know you feel lost
But you’re not in too deep

We were built to last
On until forever
The world is changing fast
But our love was built to last

Credit: Image by By musicisentropy, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Braves Slugger Joc Pederson and His Signature Pearls Head to the 2021 World Series

Atlanta Braves fans are hoping that slugger Joc Pederson’s pearls will help carry the team to its first World Series title since 1995.

Back on September 29, the Braves 6’1’ 220 lb outfielder stepped up to the plate against the Philadelphia Phillies sporting a strand of white cultured pearls around his neck. His surprising fashion statement generated a buzz that hasn’t let up as the Braves vanquished the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers on the way to the Fall Classic against the Houston Astros.

“I just saw the pearls and I was like, you know what? That looks cool,” Pederson told the Associated Press. “I’ve done the black chain and the gold chain and all those different ones and — I think a lot of other players have. But I don’t know, [the pearls] kind of caught my eye. I was like, you know, those look good.”

The Braves acquired Pederson from the Chicago Cubs in July, and the 29-year-old has been a clutch performer, especially after the pearls became a key component of his game day uniform.

After blasting the go-ahead home run in Game 3 of the Brewers series, Pederson tweeted a photo of himself and captioned it "pearl Jam."

Fans wondered, "Were the pearls somehow responsible for the Braves' success?"

Pederson's pearls didn't escape the attention of former Braves slugger Dale Murphy, who threw out the first pitch before Game 2 of the Los Angeles Dodgers series. While standing on the mound, Murphy pulled out his own pearl necklace, flung it around to excite the fans and then placed it around his neck.

At Truist Park, the home of the Braves, clubhouse stores began selling replica pearl necklaces at $5 apiece, according to published reports.

Pederson's pearls are worth far more than $5. He told reporters that his pearls are, indeed, real and that he purchased them from a jeweler.

With Pederson and his favorite accessory in the national spotlight you can be assured that millions of baseball fans — including men, women and kids of all ages — will be talking about cultured pearls.

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Tampa Bay Lightning Marks Back-to-Back Stanley Cup Wins With Record-Breaking Ring

The Tampa Bay Lightning's players, coaching staff and owners celebrated their back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in a private ceremony on Thursday with massive championship rings set with 338 diamonds and 52 genuine sapphires — for a total gem carat weight of 31.67 carats. These are the largest championship rings — carat-wise — in the history of Jostens, a jewelry company established in 1897.

Winning back-to-back Stanley Cups is no easy feat. So, when the Lightning beat the Montreal Canadians to capture the title in 2021, Tampa Bay's ownership was determined to award a championship ring reflecting that awesome accomplishment.

Diamonds and sapphires are used throughout the design to represent the Lightning's blue and white team colors. Specifically, each 14-karat white gold ring features 273 round diamonds, 45 custom-cut diamonds, 20 princess-cut diamonds, 30 custom-cut sapphires and 22 tapered-baguette sapphires.

“Our previous partnership with Jostens resulted in a spectacular ring and an overall fantastic celebration,” said Lightning CEO Steve Griggs. “It is a uniquely special opportunity to be working with them again less than a year later to celebrate our second Stanley Cup in two seasons. This ring is the culmination of a year of determination and sacrifices and pays homage to the dedicated fans of Bolts Nation.”

The ring top features the iconic Lightning logo created from 30 custom-cut genuine sapphires set atop a bed of 45 brilliant custom-cut and baguette diamonds. Accenting the top and bottom of the ring top is the title earned by the Lightning in their 2021 season, STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS, in raised white gold lettering against a blue background.

Fifty-six diamonds cascade from the top of the ring, while the top and bottom edges of the ring are each bordered with 10 princess-cut diamonds, for a total of 20.

The left side of the ring features the Lightning's home city, TAMPA BAY, and the player's name, both rendered in raised white gold lettering on a blue ground. Below the player's name is the player's jersey number in blue raised lettering within a circle accented with "skate marks" in the background.

The right side of the ring displays the team name, LIGHTNING, featuring two Stanley Cups underneath with the championship year dates in blue. Completing this side is a sea of Bolts fans who seem to be holding up the two Stanley Cups.

The palm of the ring proudly displays the phrase BACK 2 BACK.

The interior of the ring features the Lightning logo created from custom blue ceramic. To the right are the series results from the team’s 2021 playoff journey. Below these details is the phrase CLINCHING SHUTOUTS, a reference to the NHL record shattered by goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy by recording shutouts in five straight series-clinching games going all the way back to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final win over the Dallas Stars.

Also included on the inside of the ring is the Lightning’s playoff record over the past two seasons: 32–13. Incredibly, that stretch of 45 games included no back-to-back losses. Each ring also features the player's unique signature.

As an added bonus, each ring top flips open to reveal a hidden story. The left side has a bold headline, LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, which reflects the sentiment that some of the players would be moving on to other teams. The circle around the headline includes all the jersey numbers on the 2021 roster.

On the opposite side, the center reads CUP PARADE REPEAT, a nod to the franchise’s back-to-back Cup wins. The words encircling the outside of the crest hold significant meaning to the team: the mantra of head coach Jon Cooper in the locker room before Game 5 against Montreal, PROCESS OVER OUTCOME. WORK OVER HOPE.

The final detail lays within the three diamonds set between the phrases. These are symbolic of the Lightning franchise's three Stanley Cup victories.

Credits: Images courtesy of Jostens.