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My Gen X Playlist: Free Falling – Tom Petty

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Daily writing prompt
Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?
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Once I was on a backpacking trip and we set up our tents fairly close to a ledge (no brains there, mind you). As I was entering my tent, I tripped and fell forward, flying head first. Thank goodness I had metal steaks hammered into the ground to keep my tent in place. It had just enough resistance that I didn’t tumble over the edge. It probably wasn’t as dire as it sounds, but that is my memory of the situation. It scared the hell out of me. Since then, my buddy calls me a bull in a china shop. Needless to say, I never pitched my tent near a ledge ever again. The odds of me falling are just too great and don’t work in my favor.

There are certain songs that I find I just latch on to the chorus. I mean, yes, I like the other lyrics, too, but it’s the chorus you belt out at the top of your lungs. For me, it’s Tom Petty’s Free Falling. This song gives me a sense of freedom and it feels really good.

And I’m free
Free fallin’
Yeah, I’m free
Free fallin’

I’m sure the rest of the lyrics mean something, probably something completely different than what I’m thinking. Just as long as it’s not about a guy falling headfirst off a cliff. That’s nothing I want to sing about.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too
She's a good girl, who's crazy 'bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend too

And 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

And I'm free, free fallin'
Yeah I'm free, free fallin'

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

And I'm free, I'm free fallin'
Yeah I'm free, free fallin'

Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a
Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a

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

Now I'm free, free fallin'
(Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a
Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a)
Yeah I'm free, free fallin'
(Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a
Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a)

(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)
And I'm free, 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', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a)

16 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: Free Falling – Tom Petty”

  3. Glad you didn’t fall off the ledge, man. I went on a backtracking trip once and got a blister. Didn’t know how to use moleskin (also no brains there, thank you) and just plastered a big hunk over top of the blister, which served to make the bad blister many times worse.

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  6. We used to call one of our sons ‘a bull in a china shop’ 😂 because we went into a shop which sold china/ornaments etc. he was about three at the time. He tripped over and there was a domino effect and the entire display in the front window crashed to the floor. Needless to say we never went in any china shops again when he was with us. Your post brought back that memory which we laugh about now but not at the time. The shop owner was okay about the whole thing as I recall 😊

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