Tom Petty writes songs that sound like big hits, even if it turns out they weren’t — at least not when they were released. I think of all the artists I’m covering over these three weeks, he has the most bona fide classics that never came close to reaching #1.
Consider this list of songs: ‘Breakdown,’ ‘American Girl,’ ‘Listen to Her Heart,’ ‘Refugee,’ ‘Here Comes My Girl,’ ‘The Waiting,’ ‘You Got Lucky,’ ‘Don’t Come Around Here No More,’ ‘Rebels,’ ‘I Won’t Back Down,’ ‘Running Down a Dream,’ ‘Learning to Fly,’ ‘You Don’t Know How It Feels.’
Forget #1… none of those songs even cracked the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Are you kidding me?
Petty did reach the top ten three times in his illustrious career. The first was in 1979 with ‘Don’t Do Me Like That,’ the lead single of his excellent Damn the Torpedoes. That one reached #10.
The highest charting song from one of his albums came from his best-selling release, 1989’s Full Moon Fever. ‘Free Fallin’,’ the record’s third single, peaked at #7 during a week that Michael Bolton held the top spot. Life isn’t fair.
Petty did reach the top five once, duetting with Stevie Nicks on ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,’ which appeared on her 1981 album Bella Donna. That song was written by Petty and Mike Campbell for the Heartbreakers, but they ended up giving it to Nicks.
She’s a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too
She’s a good girl, crazy ’bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend too
[Verse 2]
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
[Chorus]
And I’m free
Free fallin’
Yeah, I’m free
Free fallin’
[Verse 3]
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
[Chorus]
And I’m free
I’m free fallin’
Yeah, I’m free
Free fallin’
[Post-Chorus]
(Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’, I’m-a)
(Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’, I’m-a)
[Bridge]
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
[Chorus]
Now I’m free (Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’, I’m-a)
Free fallin’ (Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’, I’m-a)
Yeah, I’m free (Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’, I’m-a)
Free fallin’ (Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’, I’m-a)
[Outro]
(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)
I’m free (Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’, I’m-a)
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’ (Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’, I’m-a)
Meet Me In Montauk 
Wow, this one really is a surprise!
Doesn’t seem right!