Free Fallin by Tom Petty

Song Meaning of Free Fallin' by Tom Petty, and what it is about

Tom Petty composed, Free Fallin’, with Jeff Lynne, who produced his solo debut, Full Moon Fever.

“I got to the chorus of the song, and he leaned over to me and said the word ‘free-falling,’” Petty recalled. “I couldn’t get the whole word in. So I sang, ‘Freeee,’ then ‘free-falling.’ And we both knew at that moment that I’d hit on something pretty good.”

They finished and recorded it in just two days, the first song completed for the album.

"Free Fallin'" is the opening track from American musician Tom Petty's debut solo album. The song was written by Petty and his writing partner for the album, Jeff Lynne, and features Lynne on backing vocals and bass guitar.

Petty explained in an interview with Billboard magazine that he and Jeff Lynne were sitting around trying to come up with a song, and Lynne got him to say "free falling". The next day they recorded the song. Petty did not write the song about a specific person, but instead about what he saw during his frequent drives along Ventura Boulevard.

"Free Fallin'" is one of Petty's most famous tracks as well as his highest and reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No.5 in Canada in 1990

Lyrics of Free Fallin' by Tom Petty

She's a good girl, loves her mama

Loves Jesus and America too

She's a good girl, who's crazy 'bout Elvis

Loves horses and her boyfriend too

And it's a long day, livin' in Reseda

There's a freeway, runnin' through the yard

And I'm a bad boy, 'cause I don't even miss her

I'm a bad boy for breakin' her heart

And I'm free, free fallin'

Yeah I'm free, free fallin'

All the vampires, walkin' through the valley

Move west down Ventura Boulevard

And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows

And the good girls are home with broken hearts

And I'm free, I'm free fallin'

Yeah I'm free, free fallin'

Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a

Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a

I wanna glide down over Mulholland

I wanna write her name in the sky

I'm gonna free fall out into nothin'

Gonna leave this world for a while

Now I'm free, free fallin'

(Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a

Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a)

Yeah I'm free, free fallin'

(Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a

Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a)

(Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a)

Yeah I'm free, free fallin'

Oh!

(Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a)

Free fallin'

(Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a)

And I'm free, oh, free fallin'

(Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a

Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a

Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a)