Sam Smith Looks Back on the ‘Stay With Me’ Dispute With Tom Petty

Sam Smith is looking back with regret at how they handled a personal gesture from Tom Petty during the copyright dispute surrounding their hit song "Stay With Me."

In a new interview with CBC, Smith recalled receiving a letter from Petty at their hotel the night before the 2015 Grammy Awards. At the time, Petty and collaborator Jeff Lynne had been awarded writing credits and a combined 12.5 percent royalty share on "Stay With Me" because of its melodic similarities to their 1989 hit "I Won't Back Down."

For Smith, who was only 22 at the time, the situation came during a huge turning point in their life and career.

"I was so pissed off when I read it. That's the truth," Smith said. They described their younger self as "a little sassy" and "a 22-year-old queer kid" who "just didn't listen to men."

The frustration was understandable from Smith's perspective. "Stay With Me" was part of their debut album, In the Lonely Hour, and the song had quickly become a major hit. Suddenly, a copyright dispute was adding stress to what should have been an exciting moment.

"It was my first album, my first chance of success, of changing my life, of being able to finally achieve my dreams and do what I wanted to do," Smith said. "And then when I heard what was happening, I was like, that's crazy. That's awful that that can happen."

According to Smith, Petty's letter included a simple point about songwriting: there are only so many notes on a piano.

At the time, Smith did not exactly find that comforting.

"When he said that, I was like, you get it. So why is this happening?" Smith recalled.

Looking back now, however, Smith believes they misunderstood what Petty was trying to say. Instead of viewing the letter as another frustrating part of the dispute, Smith now sees it as an attempt by the veteran songwriter to offer some kindness during a confusing and stressful situation.

"I see you and I understand what you're going through right now. And I'm just sorry this is all happening," Smith said, describing how they now understand Petty's intent.

That realization has changed the way Smith remembers the exchange. They called the letter "actually very, very sweet and kind of him" and said they are "so deeply regretful" for never responding.

It is one of those moments where hindsight can hit harder than any argument. What once felt like another problem landing on Smith's plate now seems like a personal gesture they wish they had appreciated at the time.

Petty also made it clear in 2015 that he did not have bad feelings toward Smith.

"Let me say I have never had any hard feelings toward Sam," Petty said. "All my years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen."

Petty also stressed that there was no lawsuit and said "Sam did the right thing."

Smith had previously maintained that they hadn't heard "I Won't Back Down" before writing "Stay With Me." They explained that "Stay With Me" was inspired by their own experiences with casual relationships.

The dispute ultimately resulted in Petty and Lynne receiving songwriting credits and a combined 12.5 percent royalty share. But the controversy did not stop the song from becoming one of the biggest moments of Smith's early career.

In fact, the timing could hardly have been more dramatic.

The day after Petty's letter arrived, "Stay With Me" won both Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2015 Grammys.

More than a decade later, the awards remain part of the song's history, but Smith seems to remember something else just as clearly: the letter sitting in that hotel room and the opportunity they had to respond.

At 22, Smith saw a frustrating copyright dispute. With more years and perspective, they now see an older songwriter trying to say, in his own way, that he understood what they were going through.

And sometimes, realizing what someone meant long after the moment has passed can be its own kind of lesson.