Remembering Tom Petty and the legacy he left for us music fans, singer-songwriters, and free spirits.

Learning To Fly

The Story Behind The Music

“Learning To Fly” launched in 1991, through Tom Petty and his writing partner Jeff Lynne, for the album Into the Great Wide Open. This song made a major impression on me through my upbringing in rural Wyoming. It was one of the first songs I learned to cover in college, when I first started playing guitar. For you guitarists out there, the entire song is based on four simple chords: F, C, Am, and G. Thankfully, I had the pleasure of seeing Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, in Colorado way back when he sported a long beard, and they played an ultra-slow rendition of “I Won't Back Down,” with piano accompaniment. Woo, what a blast!

In Rolling Stone magazine's 10 Greatest Tom Petty Music Videos, “Learning To Fly” ranks #4.

---

The Lyrics (by Tom Petty)

Well I started out down a dirty road
Started out all alone
And the sun went down as I crossed the hill
And the town lit up, the world got still

[Chorus:]
I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing

Well the good ol' days may not return
And the rocks might melt and the sea may burn

[Chorus]

Well some say life will beat you down
Break your heart, steal your crown
So I've started out for God knows where
I guess I'll know when I get there

I'm learning to fly, around the clouds
But what goes up must come down

[Chorus]

---

The Steemit Open Mic

This is my fifth time participating in the Steemit Open Mic, and I can fairly say it's been the best use of my creative energy so far, in all of my 700+ Steemit posts. This event gives me (and you) the chance to stand in the spotlight and be seen. Equally important, it gives us the chance to witness other artists too, and we grow together in this way, sharing once and listening twice, altogether exercising our natural talents.

Being a dad with three little kids, I don't spend a lot of time practicing being a star. But I do get to shine a little, every single week, through the Steemit Open Mic. In case you're new to this event, here's this week's official invitation: Steemit Open Mic Week 54. And here is my personal collection of favorite entries from last week's event: 💎 The Top 11 - Discovering Steemit’s Most Radical Creative Thinkers Vol. 04 - #OpenMic Spotlight.

I admire this event's open invitation to express ourselves creatively, week after week. I'd like to thank @luzcypher, @pfunk, and all the others who make the Steemit Open Mic possible. Thanks too to all of the kind supporters of live music.

---

– @cabelindsay