“Free Fallin'” is the opening track from Tom Petty’s debut solo album, Full Moon Fever (1989). The song was written by Petty and his writing partner for the album, Jeff Lynne, and features Lynne on backing vocals and bass guitar. The duo wrote and recorded the single in two days, making it the first song completed for Full Moon Fever.
“Free Fallin'” is one of Petty’s most famous tracks as well as his highest- and longest-charting. It peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in January 1990. Petty and The Heartbreakers performed the song at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1989, with Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin, and at the February 2008 Super Bowl XLII Halftime Show. The song is ranked No. 179 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was featured in the film Jerry Maguire (1996) and The Sopranos episode 2.13, “Funhouse” (2000). Lou Reed selected the song as one of his “picks of 1989”. The song was #2 on the Spotify Global Viral 50 following the death of Petty.
Check out the lyrics and the iconic track below:
She’s a good girl, loves her mamma
Loves Jesus and America, too
She’s a good girl, crazy bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend too, yeah yeah
It’s a long day, livin’ in Reseda
There’s a free way running through the yard
I’m a bad boy ’cause I don’t even miss her
I’m a bad boy for breaking her heart
And I’m free
Free fallin’, fallin’
And I’m free
Free fallin’, fallin’
All the vampires, walkin’ through the valley
They 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
Free fallin’, fallin’
Now I’m free
Free fallin’, fallin’
Free fallin’, now I’m
Free fallin’, now I’m
Free fallin’, now I’m
Free fallin’, now I’m
Free fallin’, now I’m
Free fallin’, now I’m
Free fallin’, now I’m
Free fallin’
I wanna glide down, over Mulholland
Wanna write her name in the sky
I wanna free fall out into nothin’
Oh, I’m gonna leave this, this world for a while
Now I’m free
Free fallin’, fallin’
Now I’m free
Free fallin’, fallin’
Then I’m free
Free fallin’, fallin’
Now I’m free
Free fallin’, fallin’
Free fallin’, fallin’
Free fallin’, fallin’
Free fallin’, fallin’
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