UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter
Brian Roewe | Jul. 21, 2014 NCR Today
Step aside, Mary Jane.
Tom Petty is dancing with the Catholic church in his next album “Hypnotic Eye.”
In new song titled “Playing Dumb,” famed rocker Petty and his band the Heartbreakers — who together have produced classics such as “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” “Free Fallin’” and “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” — address their outrage with the church’s decade-long abuse scandal.
“For every confession that wasn’t on the level/For every man of God that lives with hidden devils,” Petty sings at one point.
“Playing Dumb” does not appear among the album’s 11 main tracks, but is included as a bonus song on Blu-Ray and vinyl editions.
In an interview with Billboard magazine, Petty said he did not intend to attack Catholics or religion in general. But the abuse scandal, however, has left him seeing it difficult for people to maintain their faith.
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