THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

769-Tom Petty-Free Fallin.’

1989-Number 59 single.

Best Bit-At 0.42.The start of your San Fernando Valley geography lesson.

Thomas Earl Petty was born October 20th, 1950, in Gainesville, Florida, United States, he died October 2nd, 2017 from an accidental overdose of prescribed painkillers, having been suffering from emphysema, knee difficulties, and a fractured hip.He was one of the world’s best selling artists, with sales of singles, and Albums, in excess of 80 million.He released three solo Albums including the critically acclaimed ‘Full Moon Fever,’ from where this song is taken, as part of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, he released 13 studio Albums, between 1976-2014. Petty was also a member of the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, who released two Albums in 1988, and 1990.

‘Free Fallin” was co-written by Petty and fellow Traveling Wilbury Jeff Lynne (see also best songs 970 and 25,) they both also produced the song alongside fellow ‘Heartbreaker’ Mike Campbell, who had co-written with Petty, many of the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers best known songs, Campbell also co-wrote ‘The Boys of Summer’ with Don Henley.

‘Free Fallin’ tells the story of a man who has his way with a naive girl, she believes everything he says, but when he has got what he wants he dumps her.At first he is pleased with himself, but after a while he realises that what he has done is wrong, and a more meaningful long term relationship would be more fulfilling.

‘She’s a good girl, loves her mama, loves Jesus and America too.’