"Free Fallin'" is the opening track from American musician 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.
Reseda – a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley
101 "Ventura" Freeway – the lyrics mention "a freeway runnin' through the yard" of the subject's Reseda home - putatively the 101 Freeway, which has an exit for Reseda Boulevard, albeit in the higher-income neighborhood of Tarzana
"The Valley" – a colloquial name for the San Fernando Valley
Ventura Boulevard – a primary east-west thoroughfare that runs along the southern border of the San Fernando Valley
Petty explained in an interview with Billboard magazine that he and Jeff Lynne were sitting around trying to come up with a song, and Lynne got him to say "free falling". The next day they recorded the song. Petty did not write the song about a specific person, but instead about what he saw during his frequent drives along Ventura Boulevard.[7]
Personnel[]
Tom Petty – lead vocals, backing vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar
The music video for the song features a teenage girl seen in various places around Los Angeles, including a '60s pool party and an '80s skate park. Petty is also seen performing in these places and others, such as a mall.[8]
In 2007 - John Mayer played an acoustic cover of the song in a performance at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, as a part of his 2008 live album Where the Light Is. The single was certified double platinum in Australia in 2021.[25]
