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Tom Petty died a year ago today. Watch his nostalgic new video for ‘Gainesville’

Gainesville's favorite son paid homage to his hometown (and Clearwater) on a new song from a career-spanning box set.
 
Published Oct. 2, 2018|Updated Oct. 2, 2018

Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Florida's greatest rock export, Tom Petty. It's not a date for celebration, per se, but it is a time to look back — especially through a new posthumous video.

Petty's family and label have unveiled a new video for Gainesville, a song unreleased until last week's box set An American Treasure, featuring recordings from throughout his more than 40-year career.

The song, which dates to the Echo sessions in 1998, is a midtempo alt-rocker in the flavor of R.E.M. with a simple chorus paying homage to his hometown: "Gainesville was a big town." More relevant to local fans is an obtuse reference to a trip through Tampa Bay: "Bird dog in the high grass / Dancers all along the wall / We got down to Clearwater / You're okay anywhere you fall."

The video features vintage footage of Petty and the Heartbreakers and the town of Gainesville, with shots of local landmarks like Lillian's Music Store, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and a mural that went up after Petty's death. If you look close enough, you'll even see Petty wearing an orange University of Florida T-shirt.

Gainesville isn't the only nod to Petty's hometown on An American Treasure. The four-disc box set also includes live versions of Southern Accents and Insider recorded at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on Sept. 21, 2006. The latter recording features Stevie Nicks.

Check out the video here:

And if it's got you feeling all nostalgic, check out more of our Tom Petty coverage from 2017:

IN MEMORIAM: Tom Petty was the scruffy Florida boy who helped us feel

THROUGH THE YEARS: Over the decades, Tom Petty always rocked Tampa Bay

THE FINAL TOUR: Review: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers give Florida fans a night to remember at Amalie Arena in Tampa

GALLERY: Tom Petty in Tampa Bay through the years

RELATED COVERAGE: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Greatest American rock band ever? Let's make the case

— Jay Cridlin