[4] Played live, Petty sometimes incorporated "Breakdown" with Ray Charles's "Hit the Road Jack".

[5] Guests on the song's recording include guitarist Jeff Jourard, a common collaborator with the band in their early days, and Phil Seymour, who sings backing vocals.

Record World called it a "slow, sultry rocker, dominated by guitar, with Petty's distinctive vocal again standing out.

"[6] Jamaican singer Grace Jones recorded a reggae-inflected version of the song on her 1980 album Warm Leatherette.

Petty wrote a third verse of the song specifically for Jones to record; "It's OK if you must go / I'll understand if you don't / You say goodbye right now / I'll still survive somehow / Why should we let this drag on?