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scarlettinaI was never a particular fan of Tom Petty, an unpretty man who made good music, but his death has made an unexpected impact on me. It's been--what--two or three days since the news came of his heart attack and the slow wait for his passing, and I find myself still thinking about it. When Bowie died, I was heartbroken; I'd listened to his music obsessively at one point. I saw him in concert several times and he was brilliant. The glam era made its impact on me in a significant way. Petty's music was present, but far less important to me. Nevertheless, somehow, I'm moved by his departure. It was part of the musical landscape around me. So here are a couple of things that stick with me.
First, I remember seeing Petty's video of Don't Come Around Here No More. I remember watching it on MTV, back when it was actually a music video channel. The video was hallucinogenic, using images out of Alice in Wonderland, weird and vaguely disturbing. I've only seen that video maybe twice, but I remember it more clearly than many others I've seen over the years. It made an impression.
Second, I remember hearing "American Girl" on the radio and loving it. When it showed up as flavor text in "The Silence of the Lambs," I thought its use was both perfect and yet a little too on the nose, something that had nothing to do with Petty himself, but was still sort of a defining moment, in that use of such a recognizable song was shorthand to communicate who this girl was. She was everyone's daughter, unprepared for what was coming. Only a great musician could produce something so iconic, so economical and so effective.
"Free Fallin'" seemed to just show up for me, without any particular association. It's got one of the great hooks of rock'n'roll. I feel the same way about "Refugee," another song with a great hook. This one, though, held resonance for me. Still does.
And then there was his performance after 9/11 on "America: A Tribute to Heroes." He sang "I Won't Back Down" and I've never seen such burning rage in anyone's eyes before. At least, that's how I remember it; maybe I was seeing my own anger in him. His delivery was laconic as always, but the intensity in his expression was nearly unbearable. I've never forgotten it. And in a way, I was grateful for it. He was speaking for all of us.
So that was Petty's presence in my life. Why such an impact? I dunno. Maybe I wasn't aware of how hard I was listening at the time. But I was listening.
First, I remember seeing Petty's video of Don't Come Around Here No More. I remember watching it on MTV, back when it was actually a music video channel. The video was hallucinogenic, using images out of Alice in Wonderland, weird and vaguely disturbing. I've only seen that video maybe twice, but I remember it more clearly than many others I've seen over the years. It made an impression.
Second, I remember hearing "American Girl" on the radio and loving it. When it showed up as flavor text in "The Silence of the Lambs," I thought its use was both perfect and yet a little too on the nose, something that had nothing to do with Petty himself, but was still sort of a defining moment, in that use of such a recognizable song was shorthand to communicate who this girl was. She was everyone's daughter, unprepared for what was coming. Only a great musician could produce something so iconic, so economical and so effective.
"Free Fallin'" seemed to just show up for me, without any particular association. It's got one of the great hooks of rock'n'roll. I feel the same way about "Refugee," another song with a great hook. This one, though, held resonance for me. Still does.
And then there was his performance after 9/11 on "America: A Tribute to Heroes." He sang "I Won't Back Down" and I've never seen such burning rage in anyone's eyes before. At least, that's how I remember it; maybe I was seeing my own anger in him. His delivery was laconic as always, but the intensity in his expression was nearly unbearable. I've never forgotten it. And in a way, I was grateful for it. He was speaking for all of us.
So that was Petty's presence in my life. Why such an impact? I dunno. Maybe I wasn't aware of how hard I was listening at the time. But I was listening.