He waits for her until she's done with work. Sometimes at night I wait around 'til she gets off.

Regardless of how much he tries to figure her out, she always leaves him with unresolved questions and doubts. Yeah, she always likes to leave me with a shadow of a doubt. She's hard to understand and her actions and emotions are not always transparent. She's a complex kid and she's always been so hard to figure out. Her mysterious behavior has left him uncertain and unsure about what to make of her. She's got me on the fence with that little bit of mystery, She enjoys keeping him in suspense and unclear about her intentions. He believes his partner loves him, but she isn't showing it clearly.

I think she loves me, but she don't want to let on. The singer's significant other is leaving, and he feels like he's losing everything. There goes my baby, there goes my only one. He seems to be constantly trying to figure her out, but ultimately acknowledges that she is a 'complex kid' who is 'always been so hard to live without.' Overall, the lyrics suggest a complicated and intriguing relationship that is full of mystery and uncertainty. The repetition of the phrase 'shadow of a doubt' throughout the song emphasizes the singer's uncertainty and the girl's tendency to leave him questioning their relationship. He waits for her at night when she gets off work, even though she doesn't like her job, and wonders about her dreams and her tendency to sing in French. He describes her as someone who keeps him guessing with a 'little bit of mystery' and is 'hard to figure out.' Despite his uncertainty about her feelings towards him, the singer seems to be in love with her and is drawn to her complexity. The lyrics of 'Shadow of a Doubt' by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers seem to be about a complex and mysterious relationship between the singer and a girl he loves.

Tom petty, shadow of a doubt live