I know. I'm smiling while writing this... She "ruined me" with so many other reaction channels... No one comes close... Not her and Vlads fault. They just have a fantastic formula. They didn't intend to ruin it for other channels.... One would hope others would recognize what adds value and try to emulate... Watching other channels just makes coming back here so much more enjoyable...
@daveking9393 i watched one the other day and called Bull Shit , when the guy said he never heard of Mick Jaeger or Rolling Stones. I said so and unsubsricbed
Thanks Amy. Tom Petty was always great at creating 'vignettes' that leave the listener/viewers enough space to create their own possible narratives. He's also king-of-the-hooks, with an underrated creative band behind him (the song itself always took first place). Petty is also one of the few writers who include humour in their works.
When Tom Petty died we didn't just lose a fantastic songwriter and musician but we lost one of the most genuine people in the music. Here was a man who wrote songs criticising the music industry knowing they wouldn't get played by some radio stations but he did it anyway because certain things needed to be said. His range of songs is brilliant too, from the rocking eponymous Heartbreakers first album to the much more sensitive Wildflowers album.
It's very rare for me to get hung up on a celebrity's passing but when Tom Petty passed in 2017, I felt it in my bones for about 6 weeks straight. What a loss. He put out great music across five different decades and somehow managed to carry the torch of greats like The Beatles, The Byrds, and Bob Dylan while always being uniquely himself. All-American yet counterculture, distinct in vocals and voice and yet an everyman. This isn't quite my fav Petty song because it presents a little simple, but it's a classic because the music fits the story and characters so well and there's nuance and variation woven throughout it. Immaculately presented, as you say! Also re: Reseda, it's a suburban neighborhood of the greater LA area in the "San Fernando Valley" area to the north of LA proper, though technically within the city limits (which are huge). I feel like it crops up in a lot of song lyrics and, to me, is a bit of a byword for a relatably unremarkable place in the shadow of something big and exotic, which can be used to flesh out all sorts of characters, personalities, and situations.
Reseda is a suburb of the Los Angeles greater area in the San Fernando valley. It is primarily mixed residential and business. It is possibly most well-known for being the location of 1984 film "The Karate Kid" and the newer Netflix series "Kobra Kai" (although the latter is actually filmed in Atlanta). It is also known for the 1971 San Fernando earthquake (6.5 on the Richter scale, and ground movement lasting for over 60 seconds), where Reseda was one of the most affected areas. Ventura Blvd runs east/west just south of Reseda (in the Tarzana area), from Universal City (home of Universal Studios) in the east to Calabasas in the west. The "freeway running through the yard" is the 101 - a major traffic channel for the area even then. At the time the song was written, Reseda was mostly diverse and lower-middle class economically - with the mix of the relatively law-abiding and rougher elements being characteristic. In the 60s and early 70s, I grew up in Chatsworth, just northwest of Reseda - this song always brings back memories of the area 🙂 The "good girl" of the first verse is not from the midwest, but is from Reseda, along with the boy of the second verse, who is falling in with the "vampires" (bad influences sucking the life out of those in their spheres of influence) from the more urban south, leading to the boy's abandonment of his girlfriend for a life of what became debauchery and drug addiction ... Despite the smooth and easy feel, the song is quite tragic - the "free fallin' " is not real freedom, but the " leave this, this world for a while" is the detachment of heroin - while the boy wants to "write her name in the sky", he has actually abandoned her, leaving her "home with (a) broken heart". The song never resolves this tragedy - we don't know if the girl ever overcomes her broken heart, or if the boy ever gets clean ...
First, I want to thank you for such a deep explanation. I'll admit that it does color in the gray areas of the song. On the other hand your deep dive saddens me greatly because I always took it at surface value, that being a guy who realizes that a relationship won't work, so he leaves so she can find someone who deserves her. He's the good guy who is free from the guilt of not loving her fully. Now, for me, it's a very sad song. Fantastic story telling, but a sad story.
I never feel any need to analyse the lyrics of a song, I just let it wash over me and create a mood. After all, I think, it's a song not a manifesto. Anyway I don't know LA very well so all these (interesting) details are something I'd never have a chance to work out for myself. Still my mood listening to them, that it's a sad song, kind of gritty seems completely compatible with this new information.
You also have to remember this is the late '80's. Most of California was still part of Americana, and hadn't completely jumped into the left hand side of the pool yet.
I didn’t hear before the interpretation that the “free falling” was about heroin as an escape. I did feel that it was not a happy escape from the relationship.
@@ericfielding2540 - Tom never said that specifically, but he has said that the story was inspired by what he saw on a drive down Ventura Blvd, where there are (or were - I haven't driven the Blvd in years) some areas where the junkies would be notable among the less ... "impaired" pedestrians. And "free falling" is an apt description of the "floating" detachment of a heroin "high", while "vampires" was one term used of the pushers who would prey on the young and impressionable, getting them hooked so as to have a captive customer. Based on these, it seems the most reasonable interpretation, since it explains why the boy would want to "write her name in the sky" even as he left her heartbroken and alone ...
Tom Petty and Mike Campbell both came from Gainesville, FL. They moved to California to become rock stars. Petty's music is an interesting blend of Southern California and the southeast US.
Loved it. Great reaction and commentary! I am really glad you enjoyed this. Tom Petty is one of my favorites, and this is a great song to be introduced to his music. You will also want to check out his earlier work with the Heartbreakers who have several great tunes. I don't think you have heard the Traveling Wilburys yet, so I think you are thinking of when you listened to Roy Orbison's "You Got It," in which Roy collaborated with George Harrison and Jeff Lynne, making up half of the Wilburys. The full Traveling Wilburys consists of (Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne), so you definitely want to add them to your list (a true supergroup).
Live performances of this song were really emotional. The song paints a portrait of an America full of nostalgia. Much of what it was is now lost, but at least we have the memories, and this and many other songs from the late mr. Petty. Cheers
Tom Petty is definitely underrated. In the pantheons of Rock Music, Tom is one of the true greats. RIP Tom - we miss you. For American rockers, he's very near the very top.
This is the great reaction, for song that is actually a tragic remainder of drug/heroin addiction among young people of Reseda, part of LA, and 'free falling' is metaphor for being under the influenced of heroin and rejecting everything including the love, for a 'free falling' sensation. It is interesting that video for the song had different idea, I can't remember the director, but he was inspired by movie "Sky over Berlin" by Wenders, and he put Tom Petty in video in character of invisible angel that fallows this girl around LA suburbs, who are determined to became a best/pro skater and leave everything behind while she is flying on the skateboard ramp at the end of video as metaphor for 'free falling' This song and whole album 'Full Moon Fever' was one of my favorite as kid, and this was great introduction to Tom Petty, maybe song 'In to the great wide open' can be next, or 'Mary Jane's Last Dance' if I may suggest. Keep on good work Amy, all the greetings to little one and Vlad!
Tom Petty's best is American Girl / Anything That's Rock'n'Roll / Here Comes My Girl/Something In The Air / Learning To Fly / Into The Great Wide Open / Mary Jane's Last Dance
Just a terrific example of a simple, but brilliant, lyric. "I'm free!", immediately followed by "free fallin'" says everything! Having written a few songs myself, Petty has inspired me with lyrics that aren't all that poetic or flowery; they're often very simple, but they get across so much and almost always hit you "in the feels". His music also accomplishes the same end. His career also spanned lots of different styles - blues, folk, rock, electric/acoustic. I'll rarely run into anyone who just doesn't like his catalog, regardless of their tastes. Great review, Amy!
oh man, this is a core memory for me. when i was in high school, we bought and copied cassette tapes and traded them. this album, Full Moon Fever, blew all of us guys away. all of us loved it to death. and this song was the huge hit. i still sing along to this song every time it plays on the radio.
When Petty and the Heartbreakers first came out, they reminded me of the Byrds. I told my brother that if they ever found their own style they'd make it big. I got one right! There is a rabbit hole to fall into here, if you have the time.
This is one of the greatest and farthest reaching songs ever. My first memories of music was this song and "I won't back down" when I was 4 years old. This will be a banger forever! ❤
I'm pleased that you appreciated the subtleties and world building. Was worried you'd check out after realizing it was going to be one chord progression all the way through; "okay, got the point". 😄
Brilliant song. Amy, you have given me a better appreciation of this song. If you haven’t already; Running Down a Dream Learning To Fly. Fantastic songs. Greetings from Munich, Germany! ✨✨✨✨✨✨
The night after Tom Petty passed away, I held a private wake for him by watching all the videos I could find of his last show at the Hollywood Bowl and when I got to that breakdown part of "Free Fallin'" where the lyrics go "I wanna free fall out into nothin' Oh, I'm gonna leave this, this world for a while..." I just broke into tears like I had lost an old friend. The power of music and great songwriting is really something. Love your channel Amy :)
Saw Petty and the Heartbreakers with Bob Dylan in the 80s. They played their own set to open the show then were Dylan's band for his set. Awesome show.
He's a master of "simple is better"(how I like to cook, as a chef)but has that... "Hmmmm....?" factor that makes you want to go back for another listen... The same way I aim to cook... familiar, but interesting enough to make you want to go back for more
I seen Tom Petty in Phoenix Az.a couple of times. He always made me feel like he was glad to have you as a fan or that he was glad you came out. Oh yes and one of the great things about being in Phoenix Stevie Nicks would show up for at least the "Stop Dragging My Heart Around." Duo with him. Great reaction your on to Him for sure.❤❤
I've always loved how it fluctuates between the major, the sus4 and the sus2...an utterly simple chord motion which just kinda floats and isn't really going in any direction there which matches the theme/narrative perfectly.
Tom Petty is one of my favorite artists. He was just such a great songwriter. His music and lyrics were so relatable and pleasing to the ear. So many times, when I heard a new song from him (like this one) I knew it was going to be a classic for the ages. He has many more great tunes, so please continue.
Jeff Lynne was great friends with Tom Petty, it was the suggestion from Jeff to make it Free Fallin’ instead of if being just Freefallin’ and using the break to put a twist on things. Jeff really worked his magic on this and it really does show. I would suggest you watch the concert of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in Gainesville, it shows how the band worked together so well. My favourite track is “ Good to be king” . Throughout the concert it’s clear there’s a bit of magic. If time allows I would urge you to check out each member of The Travelling Wilburys and see what they made. It might be an unexpected surprise and one that’s most welcome.
Yup.. You're thinking of The Travelling Wilburys.. Here in Nova Scotia, Canada and being a musician myself,(singer-songwriter dork), Tom was a huge influence on me. I've flown my Mom to Toronto to see Tom. My Mom is a singer too who always sang in choirs.. Also on different occasions got my 3 daughters to see Tom live too.. Tom was one of a kind...I enjoy your channel...
I knew a guy who said hearing Free Falling on the radio pushed him to get clean of heroin. I don’t know if Petty intended it to be a cry for help from an addict but it really does have that meaning especially if you consider that the good girl is actually his former life. Petty is that Bible Belt kid living out in LA and becoming a vampire. Great song and analysis. Thanks VirginRock.
Great story. That guy must have realised he was ‘free falling’ due to his sense of freedom in drugs, and how much it has harmed himself and his loved ones.
I interpreted the lyrics as his coming to terms about how he really feels about this girl, he starts saying he is a bad boy, because he doesn't even miss her, to the realization that he wants to paint her name in the sky by the end of the song. So now he wants to free fall into nothing, leaving this world for a while, perhaps though getting drunk or high with the bad boys to escape his regret. So while he is now free, he has a sense of falling into nothingness escaping the world for a while, which offers a real duality to this sense of freedom he was seeking.
@ yes that’s what I thought until my friend explained it to me. Lots of songs have a front meaning and a back meaning. I mean lyrics are kind of a series of Freudian slips that the writer may not be consciously aware of but songs usually come from some kind struggle and emotion is fairly transparent. The music doesn’t imply one way or the other. It’s what makes popular songs great, everyone relates but in different ways. I wrote songs with a great lyricist and often I would realize the song is about something else entirely and my friend didn’t see it at all. I think songs have a life of their own and contain meanings that the writers never intended but it’s there none the less, the muse is always larger than the artist
@@Hartlor_Tayley Well said Hartlor. I agree completely. Even when I listen to the same song at different times in my life, it has different meanings. I have even heard some artist say their own songs mean something different to them now than when they wrote them. Perhaps even being the case that was also what it meant subconsciously to them at the time they wrote it, but at the time they consciously had another meaning in mind. Or sometimes I have heard them say, they never had a specific meaning, and yet listeners may attach different, even profound, meanings to them. I always find it interesting when an artists gives a genuine interpretation of their own songs, but it is not a necessary thing for me. Since I prefer to attach my own meanings as to whatever it triggers within me. And sometimes a song means nothing to me, and I still love it because of its groove and vibe.
I heard Tom was recording an album when producer Jeff Lynne (of ELO) encouraged him to write a slow, acoustic guitar song. Tom grabbed a guitar and spontaneously made up the intro to this song as a joke. Jeff loved it, so Tom turned it into this song.
Yet another enjoyable watch Amy , reminds me of when I first heard this song and the pure joy it released in me ,id just been through hard times and now this song is my clarion call in similar times its the FREEEEE bit the realisation that all things end i would recommend two gunslingers to you thanks Amy
Well done. Please revisit Tom again , when you have a chance. My personal choice would be "Running Down a Dream" which is a great driving song. Running Down a Dream also contains a lyric referring to another classic song that would be a great one to react to (if you haven't already). Runaway by Del Shannon, which is a fundamental song for any rock n roll curriculum
For me one of the greatest components of this song is the Bass Line during the Free Falling chorus. Two parts, first part starts low but ends high, and the second part starts at the same point as the first, but ends even higher than the first part. I always follow that Bass Line whenever I listen to the song
His ode to Los Angeles. The line: “I wanna glide down over Mulholland” Mulholland is in the Hollywood Hills. Private jets, on their final approach to Burbank airport, would cut off their engines and glide down to land. They cut off their engines because Bel Aire (one of the richest communities in the world) complained about the noise.
The reference to Reseda, which is suburban Los Angeles combined with there's a freeway running through the yard is painting a picture of upper middle class affluence as real estate values in LA and surrounding areas are determined by their proximity to freeway entrance/exit ramps.
"Reseda" and "Ventura Blvd." reference a suburb of Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley. SFV is actually referenced in rather quite a number of songs by quite a number of various artists.
I have to admit I’m surprised you liked this one, Amy, because its greatness is built with such simple, basic elements. Except the lyrics. The lyrics are top tier. I’ve always loved this song, simply for the feeling it brings.
Yep, you're doing well with the Wilburys! Jeff Lynne is such a talent. Brilliant melodic songwriter, and he was behind hit albums by so many as a producer, including Petty, Harrison, Roy Orbison, and others.
I've been watching for a minute, the draw to your channel is the way you react to the music! Classic! Id put my money on you being a good girl😂🤔 Thank you
Love watching your reactions and was wondering why you haven't been directed towards Bob Seger. I have listened to him since the 70s went to concerts up until the 2000s. I think you could have an interesting run with his song catalogue. Hope to hear some of Bob in the future. You can't really go through rock and roll history without at least trying.
Amy, it's great to see you finally doing some Tom Petty. Other great Tom Petty songs: - "Mary Jane's Last Dance" - "Don't Come Around Here No More" - "Runnin' Down A Dream" - "Refugee" - "I Won't Back Down"
11:28 - "like... well, some of the great folk rock and classic rock story songs..." -- uhh, could we get Alice's Restaurant sometime soon? Because... that strikes me as taking that idea to a whole other level than anything like this song, and I'd love to see (you/) Amy react to it. :)
I think it’s important for people to know that Tom Petty was the lead guitarist for Bob Dylan‘s backup band and a self admitted comment that it helped his music ship, his craftsmanship exponentially.
Great! Important future listens > Wildflowers, Scare Easy, Born on the Bayou (Mudcrutch), I Won't Back Down. And a personal favorite, but not well known, Swingin.
So in this song notice Toms both cynical and positive at the same time hes giving you a balanced picture, he does this a lot he doesnt want to dead-end the song he wants you to come back to it and listen again and find theres another interpretation of it. a proper song writer does this like neil young 'Helpless' a song he doesn't give you the meaning but leaves it as an open book for you to decide. for this song his inspiration came from being seven years old and having polio. But he doesnt give you that information in the song. There is a town in north Ontario, With dream comfort memory to spare, And in my mind I still need a place to go, All my changes were there. Blue, blue windows behind the stars, Yellow moon on the rise, Big birds flying across the sky, Throwing shadows on our eyes. Leave us Helpless, helpless, helpless Baby can you hear me now? The chains are locked and tied across the door, Baby, sing with me somehow. Blue, blue windows behind the stars, Yellow moon on the rise, Big birds flying across the sky, Throwing shadows on our eyes. Leave us Helpless, helpless, helpless.
A great continuation! Whatever it is that came to define "Southern Rock" music in the 60's and 70's, Tom Petty gives us what, perhaps, Lynyrd Skynyrd would have sounded like in the 80's and 90's. Very profoundly southern rock. You don't listen to Tom Petty at a dance club with flashy lights, you listen to him while drinking beers with your friends in a bar. You listen to him while fishing, maybe while cleaning house or doing laundry. Amy, Tom Petty will also educate you on rock 'n roll instruments, your electric guitars. While Fender and Gibson brands reign in this field, some choose the brand "Rickenbacker" for its characteristic of the "Jingle Jangle" sound. Tom Petty or his band The Heartbreakers consistently play with one or more Rickenbackers and his music distinctively have the jingle jangle guitar sound. There's been much turmoil in Petty's career with his recording contracts and Tom Petty does not have a smashing No.1 hit song but for over 30 years he's almost a staple artist in rock music, very steadily bringing out great album after great album with fantastic memorable songs. All of his songs have this braggadocios treat girls badly element in his lyrics, it is sort of a known verbiage style in rock music but Petty, comically, features it in just about every song, "you got lucky baby when I found you", "you'll be bagging for me", "don't come around here no more, whatever you're looking for" and so on. Told his friends that he doesn't have hobbies, just rock music for work and leisure, a simple Florida guy of greatness. I consider myself a fan, Thanks Amy.
Hello Amy. It’s describing life in California. I’m totally guessing and could be way off but I think he’s painting a picture of high school life maybe mid 70s to 80s it strikes me as kind of Romeo and Juliette meets American Graffiti. My high school like many was divided into clics: jocks, cheerleaders, motorheads, bad boys, nerds, etc. I just get this feeling the bad boy who lives on the wrong side of the tracks (Reseda, CA) who falls for a good girl (cheerleader?) and she for him. But he leaves her and now he’s free, but is he really? Nothing like Lynyrd Skynryds Freebird! Instead Tom’s bad boy is free falling and the music is kind of melancholy. I’ve always wondered why if he’s free and doesn’t care about her that he describes it as free falling. It seems more to me someone who realizes there’s a rift between the good girls world and his bad boy world and there won’t be any way to bridge that. Anyway I’m probably way off, but that’s what I hear in the song. It describes an archetypal human situation.
Lost a girl...That I (he) cared about but can't admit it because we (they) were different...Wrote a song about it trying to explain it away...Found out the song was exactly what it wasn't meant to be, and I am (he is) miserable...Made a bunch of money and realized I am (he is) a subconscious genius at writing songs but is still miserable because of the girl. That was my first take on the song when it first came out...Peace, Love!!
Definitely need to check out some Southern hemisphere rock Australian and New Zealand groups like Icehouse, Crowded House or Midnight Oil. A different take on the rock style I think you'll like.
As a person with bipolar I can not relate to any other song more. The feeling of floating away from joy, from good, from beauty couldn't be more relatable. When a bipolar person is on a depressive streak it feels like falling, falling falling forever. There is a point where the falling feels more at home than anything else and that is why the chorus of, "free falling," is so welcoming, cause it has happened more times than not. It is the one constant in a bipolar person's life. =(
Love your reactions, like others, when I want my baby boomer flashbacks… but there still is great unformulaic music being made in the present era… with songs sometimes over three minutes long. I’d recommend “Afreen Afreen” from Coke Studio ( Pakistan) Season 9. The live studio TH-cam version is great and unblocked with hundreds of reactions. The link attached has C.C. subtitles of beautiful lyrics, and you will appreciate duet, background singers and instrumentation. A trip you should take on or off camera.
I stop subscribing to other " First Listen " channels, yours is the only one true to form.
I know. I'm smiling while writing this... She "ruined me" with so many other reaction channels... No one comes close... Not her and Vlads fault. They just have a fantastic formula. They didn't intend to ruin it for other channels.... One would hope others would recognize what adds value and try to emulate... Watching other channels just makes coming back here so much more enjoyable...
@daveking9393 i watched one the other day and called Bull Shit , when the guy said he never heard of Mick Jaeger or Rolling Stones. I said so and unsubsricbed
The Daily Doug is also very good
@@daveking9393 The Daily Doug is just as good maybe even better since he's a conductor and knows rock
@@letsgomets002 As I recall they did a segment together. (they should do more)
Thanks Amy. Tom Petty was always great at creating 'vignettes' that leave the listener/viewers enough space to create their own possible narratives. He's also king-of-the-hooks, with an underrated creative band behind him (the song itself always took first place). Petty is also one of the few writers who include humour in their works.
When Tom Petty died we didn't just lose a fantastic songwriter and musician but we lost one of the most genuine people in the music. Here was a man who wrote songs criticising the music industry knowing they wouldn't get played by some radio stations but he did it anyway because certain things needed to be said. His range of songs is brilliant too, from the rocking eponymous Heartbreakers first album to the much more sensitive Wildflowers album.
It's very rare for me to get hung up on a celebrity's passing but when Tom Petty passed in 2017, I felt it in my bones for about 6 weeks straight. What a loss. He put out great music across five different decades and somehow managed to carry the torch of greats like The Beatles, The Byrds, and Bob Dylan while always being uniquely himself. All-American yet counterculture, distinct in vocals and voice and yet an everyman. This isn't quite my fav Petty song because it presents a little simple, but it's a classic because the music fits the story and characters so well and there's nuance and variation woven throughout it. Immaculately presented, as you say!
Also re: Reseda, it's a suburban neighborhood of the greater LA area in the "San Fernando Valley" area to the north of LA proper, though technically within the city limits (which are huge). I feel like it crops up in a lot of song lyrics and, to me, is a bit of a byword for a relatably unremarkable place in the shadow of something big and exotic, which can be used to flesh out all sorts of characters, personalities, and situations.
Same. I was surprised at how hard Tom's passing hit me 😢
RIP Tom Petty
🕯️✝️🕯️
Reseda is a suburb of the Los Angeles greater area in the San Fernando valley. It is primarily mixed residential and business. It is possibly most well-known for being the location of 1984 film "The Karate Kid" and the newer Netflix series "Kobra Kai" (although the latter is actually filmed in Atlanta). It is also known for the 1971 San Fernando earthquake (6.5 on the Richter scale, and ground movement lasting for over 60 seconds), where Reseda was one of the most affected areas. Ventura Blvd runs east/west just south of Reseda (in the Tarzana area), from Universal City (home of Universal Studios) in the east to Calabasas in the west. The "freeway running through the yard" is the 101 - a major traffic channel for the area even then. At the time the song was written, Reseda was mostly diverse and lower-middle class economically - with the mix of the relatively law-abiding and rougher elements being characteristic. In the 60s and early 70s, I grew up in Chatsworth, just northwest of Reseda - this song always brings back memories of the area 🙂
The "good girl" of the first verse is not from the midwest, but is from Reseda, along with the boy of the second verse, who is falling in with the "vampires" (bad influences sucking the life out of those in their spheres of influence) from the more urban south, leading to the boy's abandonment of his girlfriend for a life of what became debauchery and drug addiction ...
Despite the smooth and easy feel, the song is quite tragic - the "free fallin' " is not real freedom, but the " leave this, this world for a while" is the detachment of heroin - while the boy wants to "write her name in the sky", he has actually abandoned her, leaving her "home with (a) broken heart". The song never resolves this tragedy - we don't know if the girl ever overcomes her broken heart, or if the boy ever gets clean ...
First, I want to thank you for such a deep explanation. I'll admit that it does color in the gray areas of the song. On the other hand your deep dive saddens me greatly because I always took it at surface value, that being a guy who realizes that a relationship won't work, so he leaves so she can find someone who deserves her. He's the good guy who is free from the guilt of not loving her fully. Now, for me, it's a very sad song. Fantastic story telling, but a sad story.
I never feel any need to analyse the lyrics of a song, I just let it wash over me and create a mood. After all, I think, it's a song not a manifesto. Anyway I don't know LA very well so all these (interesting) details are something I'd never have a chance to work out for myself. Still my mood listening to them, that it's a sad song, kind of gritty seems completely compatible with this new information.
You also have to remember this is the late '80's. Most of California was still part of Americana, and hadn't completely jumped into the left hand side of the pool yet.
I didn’t hear before the interpretation that the “free falling” was about heroin as an escape. I did feel that it was not a happy escape from the relationship.
@@ericfielding2540 - Tom never said that specifically, but he has said that the story was inspired by what he saw on a drive down Ventura Blvd, where there are (or were - I haven't driven the Blvd in years) some areas where the junkies would be notable among the less ... "impaired" pedestrians. And "free falling" is an apt description of the "floating" detachment of a heroin "high", while "vampires" was one term used of the pushers who would prey on the young and impressionable, getting them hooked so as to have a captive customer. Based on these, it seems the most reasonable interpretation, since it explains why the boy would want to "write her name in the sky" even as he left her heartbroken and alone ...
Tom Petty's music will always hold a special place in my heart. RIP Tom. You are missed.
This is one of Petty's simplest songs but still great. I'm a huge fan and hope Amy will do a full weekend of Petty classics - there's 100s of them :)
Tom Petty - The soundtrack to our lives !!! RIP one of my faves !!
Im so glad you loved it, its one of my favorite tunes especially while driving. It broke my heart when he passed 💔.
Tom Petty is one of my favorites. I listened too more Petty than any other artist in my adult years. RIP Tom Petty!
Tom Petty and Mike Campbell both came from Gainesville, FL. They moved to California to become rock stars. Petty's music is an interesting blend of Southern California and the southeast US.
Loved it. Great reaction and commentary! I am really glad you enjoyed this. Tom Petty is one of my favorites, and this is a great song to be introduced to his music. You will also want to check out his earlier work with the Heartbreakers who have several great tunes. I don't think you have heard the Traveling Wilburys yet, so I think you are thinking of when you listened to Roy Orbison's "You Got It," in which Roy collaborated with George Harrison and Jeff Lynne, making up half of the Wilburys. The full Traveling Wilburys consists of (Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne), so you definitely want to add them to your list (a true supergroup).
Live performances of this song were really emotional. The song paints a portrait of an America full of nostalgia. Much of what it was is now lost, but at least we have the memories, and this and many other songs from the late mr. Petty. Cheers
I really appreciate this analysis/react Amy. Tom Petty is one of those classics that can't be left out. Great music!
Tom Petty is definitely underrated. In the pantheons of Rock Music, Tom is one of the true greats. RIP Tom - we miss you. For American rockers, he's very near the very top.
This is the great reaction, for song that is actually a tragic remainder of drug/heroin addiction among young people of Reseda, part of LA, and 'free falling' is metaphor for being under the influenced of heroin and rejecting everything including the love, for a 'free falling' sensation.
It is interesting that video for the song had different idea, I can't remember the director, but he was inspired by movie "Sky over Berlin" by Wenders, and he put Tom Petty in video in character of invisible angel that fallows this girl around LA suburbs, who are determined to became a best/pro skater and leave everything behind while she is flying on the skateboard ramp at the end of video as metaphor for 'free falling'
This song and whole album 'Full Moon Fever' was one of my favorite as kid, and this was great introduction to Tom Petty, maybe song 'In to the great wide open' can be next, or 'Mary Jane's Last Dance' if I may suggest.
Keep on good work Amy, all the greetings to little one and Vlad!
Rest in peace, Tom Petty a truly talented musician
Tom Petty's best is American Girl / Anything That's Rock'n'Roll / Here Comes My Girl/Something In The Air / Learning To Fly / Into The Great Wide Open / Mary Jane's Last Dance
Just a terrific example of a simple, but brilliant, lyric. "I'm free!", immediately followed by "free fallin'" says everything! Having written a few songs myself, Petty has inspired me with lyrics that aren't all that poetic or flowery; they're often very simple, but they get across so much and almost always hit you "in the feels". His music also accomplishes the same end. His career also spanned lots of different styles - blues, folk, rock, electric/acoustic. I'll rarely run into anyone who just doesn't like his catalog, regardless of their tastes. Great review, Amy!
oh man, this is a core memory for me. when i was in high school, we bought and copied cassette tapes and traded them. this album, Full Moon Fever, blew all of us guys away. all of us loved it to death. and this song was the huge hit. i still sing along to this song every time it plays on the radio.
When Petty and the Heartbreakers first came out, they reminded me of the Byrds. I told my brother that if they ever found their own style they'd make it big. I got one right!
There is a rabbit hole to fall into here, if you have the time.
This is one of the greatest and farthest reaching songs ever. My first memories of music was this song and "I won't back down" when I was 4 years old. This will be a banger forever! ❤
I'm pleased that you appreciated the subtleties and world building. Was worried you'd check out after realizing it was going to be one chord progression all the way through; "okay, got the point". 😄
Brilliant song. Amy, you have given me a better appreciation of this song.
If you haven’t already;
Running Down a Dream
Learning To Fly.
Fantastic songs.
Greetings from Munich, Germany!
✨✨✨✨✨✨
The night after Tom Petty passed away, I held a private wake for him by watching all the videos I could find of his last show at the Hollywood Bowl and when I got to that breakdown part of "Free Fallin'" where the lyrics go "I wanna free fall out into nothin'
Oh, I'm gonna leave this, this world for a while..." I just broke into tears like I had lost an old friend. The power of music and great songwriting is really something. Love your channel Amy :)
Saw Petty and the Heartbreakers with Bob Dylan in the 80s. They played their own set to open the show then were Dylan's band for his set. Awesome show.
Tom is a treasure, I knew you'd cover him eventually, so this video is already exciting before I even watch it😊
He's a master of "simple is better"(how I like to cook, as a chef)but has that... "Hmmmm....?" factor that makes you want to go back for another listen... The same way I aim to cook... familiar, but interesting enough to make you want to go back for more
9:10 It's always a good sign when I see Amy's shoulders sway to the music😂
That's good song writing... damn I miss him....
I seen Tom Petty in Phoenix Az.a couple of times. He always made me feel like he was glad to have you as a fan or that he was glad you came out. Oh yes and one of the great things about being in Phoenix Stevie Nicks would show up for at least the "Stop Dragging My Heart Around." Duo with him. Great reaction your on to Him for sure.❤❤
I have heard Tom Petty called "The Bard" of America which I feel is an accurate description of his skills.
Tom is from my hometown so he has a special place in my heart. You should definitely explore more of Tom’s music.
Tom is a gifted composer, taking a 3 chord song and making it sound fresh. Truly gifted
you only need two if you got something to say
I could put his 2 chord songs on repeat and not get bored 🤣
I've always loved how it fluctuates between the major, the sus4 and the sus2...an utterly simple chord motion which just kinda floats and isn't really going in any direction there which matches the theme/narrative perfectly.
My favorite Tom Petty Songs
Breakdown
Mary Jane
You don't know how i feel
Wont back down
Leaning to Fly
Running Down A Dream
Tom Petty is one of my favorite artists. He was just such a great songwriter. His music and lyrics were so relatable and pleasing to the ear. So many times, when I heard a new song from him (like this one) I knew it was going to be a classic for the ages. He has many more great tunes, so please continue.
Jeff Lynne was great friends with Tom Petty, it was the suggestion from Jeff to make it Free Fallin’ instead of if being just Freefallin’ and using the break to put a twist on things. Jeff really worked his magic on this and it really does show. I would suggest you watch the concert of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in Gainesville, it shows how the band worked together so well. My favourite track is “ Good to be king” . Throughout the concert it’s clear there’s a bit of magic. If time allows I would urge you to check out each member of The Travelling Wilburys and see what they made. It might be an unexpected surprise and one that’s most welcome.
Thanks, VR! Tom Petty was awesome.. also a member of the "Traveling Wilburys".. another one taken too soon... appreciate your reaction...
Thanks Amy, always enjoy your breakdowns!
Yup.. You're thinking of The Travelling Wilburys.. Here in Nova Scotia, Canada and being a musician myself,(singer-songwriter dork), Tom was a huge influence on me. I've flown my Mom to Toronto to see Tom. My Mom is a singer too who always sang in choirs.. Also on different occasions got my 3 daughters to see Tom live too.. Tom was one of a kind...I enjoy your channel...
Thanks Amy.
I knew a guy who said hearing Free Falling on the radio pushed him to get clean of heroin. I don’t know if Petty intended it to be a cry for help from an addict but it really does have that meaning especially if you consider that the good girl is actually his former life. Petty is that Bible Belt kid living out in LA and becoming a vampire. Great song and analysis. Thanks VirginRock.
Great story. That guy must have realised he was ‘free falling’ due to his sense of freedom in drugs, and how much it has harmed himself and his loved ones.
I interpreted the lyrics as his coming to terms about how he really feels about this girl, he starts saying he is a bad boy, because he doesn't even miss her, to the realization that he wants to paint her name in the sky by the end of the song. So now he wants to free fall into nothing, leaving this world for a while, perhaps though getting drunk or high with the bad boys to escape his regret. So while he is now free, he has a sense of falling into nothingness escaping the world for a while, which offers a real duality to this sense of freedom he was seeking.
@ that’s right. Don’t give the Devil a ride because eventually he’s going to be doing the driving.
@ yes that’s what I thought until my friend explained it to me. Lots of songs have a front meaning and a back meaning. I mean lyrics are kind of a series of Freudian slips that the writer may not be consciously aware of but songs usually come from some kind struggle and emotion is fairly transparent. The music doesn’t imply one way or the other. It’s what makes popular songs great, everyone relates but in different ways. I wrote songs with a great lyricist and often I would realize the song is about something else entirely and my friend didn’t see it at all. I think songs have a life of their own and contain meanings that the writers never intended but it’s there none the less, the muse is always larger than the artist
@@Hartlor_Tayley Well said Hartlor. I agree completely. Even when I listen to the same song at different times in my life, it has different meanings. I have even heard some artist say their own songs mean something different to them now than when they wrote them. Perhaps even being the case that was also what it meant subconsciously to them at the time they wrote it, but at the time they consciously had another meaning in mind. Or sometimes I have heard them say, they never had a specific meaning, and yet listeners may attach different, even profound, meanings to them. I always find it interesting when an artists gives a genuine interpretation of their own songs, but it is not a necessary thing for me. Since I prefer to attach my own meanings as to whatever it triggers within me. And sometimes a song means nothing to me, and I still love it because of its groove and vibe.
I heard Tom was recording an album when producer Jeff Lynne (of ELO) encouraged him to write a slow, acoustic guitar song. Tom grabbed a guitar and spontaneously made up the intro to this song as a joke. Jeff loved it, so Tom turned it into this song.
Yet another enjoyable watch Amy , reminds me of when I first heard this song and the pure joy it released in me ,id just been through hard times and now this song is my clarion call in similar times its the FREEEEE bit the realisation that all things end i would recommend two gunslingers to you thanks Amy
love your reactions and your voice is like asmr to me, so soothing.
Only 3 chords - beauty in the simplicity.
On the same album is "I Won't Back Down" ... which features Beatle George Harrison on acoustic guitar. xD
Love TP and have all his music . RIP ❤
Thanks Amy, love your analysis as usual, RIP Tom, top artist.❤
Well done. Please revisit Tom again , when you have a chance. My personal choice would be "Running Down a Dream" which is a great driving song. Running Down a Dream also contains a lyric referring to another classic song that would be a great one to react to (if you haven't already). Runaway by Del Shannon, which is a fundamental song for any rock n roll curriculum
Nobody could write the first two lines of a song better than TP...
Yes.. what a start! thanks for pointing that out...
For me one of the greatest components of this song is the Bass Line during the Free Falling chorus. Two parts, first part starts low but ends high, and the second part starts at the same point as the first, but ends even higher than the first part. I always follow that Bass Line whenever I listen to the song
One of my faves of all time!
LOVE Tom Petty. Forever. Danke. LG
His ode to Los Angeles.
The line:
“I wanna glide down over Mulholland”
Mulholland is in the Hollywood Hills. Private jets, on their final approach to Burbank airport, would cut off their engines and glide down to land. They cut off their engines because Bel Aire (one of the richest communities in the world) complained about the noise.
Here Comes My Girl is my favorite song of his
Mine too
The reference to Reseda, which is suburban Los Angeles combined with there's a freeway running through the yard is painting a picture of upper middle class affluence as real estate values in LA and surrounding areas are determined by their proximity to freeway entrance/exit ramps.
"Reseda" and "Ventura Blvd." reference a suburb of Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley. SFV is actually referenced in rather quite a number of songs by quite a number of various artists.
So glad you’re reacting to Tom Petty! Other great Tom Petty songs include “Last Dance With Mary Jane” and “refugee”
I have to admit I’m surprised you liked this one, Amy, because its greatness is built with such simple, basic elements. Except the lyrics. The lyrics are top tier. I’ve always loved this song, simply for the feeling it brings.
Thanks Amy. you're the best :)
Yep, you're doing well with the Wilburys! Jeff Lynne is such a talent. Brilliant melodic songwriter, and he was behind hit albums by so many as a producer, including Petty, Harrison, Roy Orbison, and others.
Many, many Black Americans like me were huge fans of him like me. I strongly regret not seeing him live. Rest easy, like your voice, Tom
Thanks, wiga! I was privileged to see him a couple of times here in the midwest.. in Milwaukee, WI & Rockford, IL... I'll always remember...
QUEEN: MARCH OF THE BLACK QUEEN
Reseda is 50 miles northwest of L.A., kind of a suburban desert environment. Southern California is desert climate.
It's Good to be King.
Those backing vocals in the final verse, though!
Recommend ‘it’s good to be king’ as your next Tom Petty song
I've been watching for a minute, the draw to your channel is the way you react to the music! Classic!
Id put my money on you being a good girl😂🤔
Thank you
Tom Petty at his prime in a great duet for both artists, Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty singing "Stop, Dragging My Heart Around".
One of my all time favourite song
yes, Reseda. A neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, which was incorporated into the city of Los Angeles.
Free, Freefallin..❤️
I had an old buddy who lived in Reseda. He actually had a freeway running through his yard.
Hard to resist this one by T Petty :)
Reseda is in the San Fernando Valley, California. The Valley is where “valley girls” come from.
Love watching your reactions and was wondering why you haven't been directed towards Bob Seger. I have listened to him since the 70s went to concerts up until the 2000s. I think you could have an interesting run with his song catalogue. Hope to hear some of Bob in the future. You can't really go through rock and roll history without at least trying.
Amy, it's great to see you finally doing some Tom Petty.
Other great Tom Petty songs:
- "Mary Jane's Last Dance"
- "Don't Come Around Here No More"
- "Runnin' Down A Dream"
- "Refugee"
- "I Won't Back Down"
Nice choice. Thanks. (you should play some more Traveling Wilburys).
11:28 - "like... well, some of the great folk rock and classic rock story songs..." -- uhh, could we get Alice's Restaurant sometime soon? Because... that strikes me as taking that idea to a whole other level than anything like this song, and I'd love to see (you/) Amy react to it. :)
I think it’s important for people to know that Tom Petty was the lead guitarist for Bob Dylan‘s backup band and a self admitted comment that it helped his music ship, his craftsmanship exponentially.
Great! Important future listens > Wildflowers, Scare Easy, Born on the Bayou (Mudcrutch), I Won't Back Down. And a personal favorite, but not well known, Swingin.
Love your channel, have a good New Year.
🔥
Reseda is a blue collar place near Los Angeles...
If you want a song with a story my number one pick is 24 hours from Tulsa by Gene Pitney. Brilliant vocals and I think you’ll love it.
So in this song notice Toms both cynical and positive at the same time hes giving you a balanced picture, he does this a lot he doesnt want to dead-end the song he wants you to come back to it and listen again and find theres another interpretation of it. a proper song writer does this like neil young 'Helpless' a song he doesn't give you the meaning but leaves it as an open book for you to decide. for this song his inspiration came from being seven years old and having polio. But he doesnt give you that information in the song.
There is a town in north Ontario,
With dream comfort memory to spare,
And in my mind
I still need a place to go,
All my changes were there.
Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes.
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless
Baby can you hear me now?
The chains are locked
and tied across the door,
Baby, sing with me somehow.
Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes.
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Reseda is in the San Fernando Valley a bit west of Van Nuys.
All American boy with All American songs. Had a talent for very catchy rock melodies.
Moody Blues for you and Elizabeth… You must listen… You must listen.
You're So Bad is a fun bit of lyrical storytelling.
San Fernando valley rules!
😁💥😍🫡😘❤️!
A great continuation!
Whatever it is that came to define "Southern Rock" music in the 60's and 70's, Tom Petty gives us what, perhaps, Lynyrd Skynyrd would have sounded like in the 80's and 90's. Very profoundly southern rock. You don't listen to Tom Petty at a dance club with flashy lights, you listen to him while drinking beers with your friends in a bar. You listen to him while fishing, maybe while cleaning house or doing laundry.
Amy, Tom Petty will also educate you on rock 'n roll instruments, your electric guitars. While Fender and Gibson brands reign in this field, some choose the brand "Rickenbacker" for its characteristic of the "Jingle Jangle" sound. Tom Petty or his band The Heartbreakers consistently play with one or more Rickenbackers and his music distinctively have the jingle jangle guitar sound.
There's been much turmoil in Petty's career with his recording contracts and Tom Petty does not have a smashing No.1 hit song but for over 30 years he's almost a staple artist in rock music, very steadily bringing out great album after great album with fantastic memorable songs. All of his songs have this braggadocios treat girls badly element in his lyrics, it is sort of a known verbiage style in rock music but Petty, comically, features it in just about every song, "you got lucky baby when I found you", "you'll be bagging for me", "don't come around here no more, whatever you're looking for" and so on.
Told his friends that he doesn't have hobbies, just rock music for work and leisure, a simple Florida guy of greatness.
I consider myself a fan, Thanks Amy.
Hello Amy. It’s describing life in California. I’m totally guessing and could be way off but I think he’s painting a picture of high school life maybe mid 70s to 80s it strikes me as kind of Romeo and Juliette meets American Graffiti. My high school like many was divided into clics: jocks, cheerleaders, motorheads, bad boys, nerds, etc. I just get this feeling the bad boy who lives on the wrong side of the tracks (Reseda, CA) who falls for a good girl (cheerleader?) and she for him. But he leaves her and now he’s free, but is he really? Nothing like Lynyrd Skynryds Freebird! Instead Tom’s bad boy is free falling and the music is kind of melancholy. I’ve always wondered why if he’s free and doesn’t care about her that he describes it as free falling. It seems more to me someone who realizes there’s a rift between the good girls world and his bad boy world and there won’t be any way to bridge that. Anyway I’m probably way off, but that’s what I hear in the song. It describes an archetypal human situation.
Jeff Lynne is basically Electric Light Orchestra. He’s the lead vocalist/creative genius behind that band.
Yes, the changing arrangement is what keeps this song interesting, because it really is the same 2-bar chord sequence all the way through otherwise! 🙂
Good take. lol You and i have the same jaw-line, cheers!
Petty also collaborated with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame.
Jeff Lynn collab most great)
Stop dragging my heart around.
@@nolaspeaker5656 My apologies. It wasn't intentional 😘
@@p--n You're so funny.
@nolaspeaker5656 Too many glum folk in this realm to be miserable 😊
Lost a girl...That I (he) cared about but can't admit it because we (they) were different...Wrote a song about it trying to explain it away...Found out the song was exactly what it wasn't meant to be, and I am (he is) miserable...Made a bunch of money and realized I am (he is) a subconscious genius at writing songs but is still miserable because of the girl. That was my first take on the song when it first came out...Peace, Love!!
Definitely need to check out some Southern hemisphere rock Australian and New Zealand groups like Icehouse, Crowded House or Midnight Oil. A different take on the rock style I think you'll like.
As a person with bipolar I can not relate to any other song more. The feeling of floating away from joy, from good, from beauty couldn't be more relatable. When a bipolar person is on a depressive streak it feels like falling, falling falling forever. There is a point where the falling feels more at home than anything else and that is why the chorus of, "free falling," is so welcoming, cause it has happened more times than not. It is the one constant in a bipolar person's life. =(
Love your reactions, like others, when I want my baby boomer flashbacks… but there still is great unformulaic music being made in the present era… with songs sometimes over three minutes long. I’d recommend “Afreen Afreen” from Coke Studio ( Pakistan) Season 9. The live studio TH-cam version is great and unblocked with hundreds of reactions. The link attached has C.C. subtitles of beautiful lyrics, and you will appreciate duet, background singers and instrumentation. A trip you should take on or off camera.
th-cam.com/video/kw4tT7SCmaY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=gKFLfhOZb9de6Qez