Learning to Fly

Zoo Freaks, get ready to soar with some righteous trivia about Learning to Fly by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers from their 1991 album Into the Great Wide Open! This track, co-written with Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra fame, was inspired by a TV interview Tom saw with a pilot who said flying was easy, but landing was the real challenge. Tom spun this into a metaphor for life’s ups and downs, telling Billboard he wanted it to be a “redemptive song, only in the vaguest way, certainly not literally.” The song’s simple four-chord structure—F, C, A minor, and G—gives it that breezy, universal vibe, perfect for cruising through the clouds. Fans have connected deeply, with Tom noting in the 2005 book Conversations With Tom Petty that he received letters from folks inspired by its message of perseverance. The Gulf War’s imagery, like burning oil wells, also seeped into the lyrics, as a fan from Green Bay pointed out on Songfacts, tying the line “the sea may burn” to the era’s chaos.

Another cool tidbit: the music video, directed by Julien Temple, who also helmed Petty’s Free Fallin’, follows a young boy through moments of growing up, symbolizing that quest for wings. The song became a live staple, with Tom often stepping back to let audiences belt out the chorus, as he shared in a 1991 ABC News interview. After Tom’s passing in 2017, his Traveling Wilburys bandmate Bob Dylan paid tribute by covering Learning to Fly in concert on what would’ve been Tom’s 67th birthday, a performance critic Jack Whatley called one of the best Petty covers ever. On X, the official @tompetty account celebrated the song’s 31st anniversary in 2022, calling Into the Great Wide Open a “masterpiece” produced by Lynne and Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell.

Now, let’s rewind to how Tom Petty got his start, born in Gainesville, Florida, in 1950. As a kid, he was hooked on rock ‘n’ roll after meeting Elvis Presley at age 10, when his uncle brought him to the set of Elvis’s film Follow That Dream. By 12, Tom was strumming a guitar and dreaming big. He dropped out of high school to gig with his first band, The Epics, which morphed into Mudcrutch, featuring future Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench. Mudcrutch hustled in Gainesville, playing clubs and even organizing festivals at “Mudcrutch Farm,” a lot near their crash pad, as noted on Wikipedia. In 1974, they moved to L.A., signed with Shelter Records, but their single Depot Street flopped, and the band split.

Tom wasn’t done, though. In 1976, he rallied Campbell, Tench, Ron Blair, and Stan Lynch to form Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Their self-titled debut dropped that year, with tracks like American Girl and Breakdown slowly building a following, especially in the UK. Tom’s grit shone through early on—he fought record labels over unfair contracts, even filing for bankruptcy in 1979 to avoid being shuffled to MCA without consent. His stand against “superstar pricing” in 1981, protesting a $1 album price hike, cemented his rep as a defender of fans, as detailed on Wikipedia. Over decades, Tom and the Heartbreakers churned out hits, selling over 80 million records and earning a 2002 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

For more on Tom, check out the official website at tompetty.com, where you’ll find music, merch, and news. Connect with the legacy on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans keep the vibe alive at sites like Tom Petty Nation, a hub for updates and community, and on Facebook groups like Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Fan Club, where Zoo Freaks can share stories and love for Tom’s music. Spin on, freaks!