Song of the Day #4,521: ‘Something Could Happen’ – Tom Petty

When Tom Petty died three years ago at just 66, he seemed to have a lot more in the tank. In the ’10s, he had already released two strong albums with the Heartbreakers (Mojo and Hypnotic Eye) and one with his old band, Mudcrutch.

In a career that spanned 40 years, Petty released some incredible albums, and the greatest of them all was arguably 1994’s Wildflowers. That sprawling set skipped between genres, from country grunge to acoustic folk, and found Petty at his most emotionally raw and creatively open.

It turns out that 15-track album, produced by the great Rick Rubin, was slimmed down from the 25-track opus he first presented to the record studio. They convinced him to cut it back and he wound up with a critical and commercial smash.

This year, Petty’s family released an expanded collector’s edition of Wildflowers that include remastered versions of the original lineup, along with those extra 10 songs, home recordings, live versions and alternate takes. Titled Wildflowers & All the Rest, it’s a treat for any fan of this album.

I was very excited to hear the new tracks, and a little let down to discover that half of them were already released on the She’s the One soundtrack, the album Petty released two years after Wildflowers.

The remaining five are worth seeking out. My favorite is today’s SOTD, ‘Something Could Happen,’ a song that definitely feels like it could have sat alongside the best material on the original release.

I’m not easy to know
My mind can change
My moods come and go

I’m not easy to please
Something the woods
Get lost in the trees

Seems like a long time
Nothin’ much rang true

But, I feel like something could happen
I feel like something could happen with you

I drive into town
I walk the mall
Go home and fall down

I’ve lost a few good friends
It’s easy come
Easy come again

Sometimes I’m surprised
By the things I do

But, I feel like something could happen
I feel like something could happen with you

I need to find some space
Where I can go get out of myself

I’m sure of who I am
Unless I feel like somebody else
Seems like a long time
I was torn in two

But, I feel like something could happen
I feel like something could happen with you
But, I feel like something could happen
I feel like something could happen with you

One thought on “Song of the Day #4,521: ‘Something Could Happen’ – Tom Petty

  1. Dana Gallup says:

    I love Wildflowers, and am looking forward to hearing all the rest.

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