That's just my theory, I don't think there is a right answer songs are made for people to interrupt and as stated before most of the TP & HB's song are about drugs.ĭude.your last sentence sums it up.replace the word FREE-FALLING with FREEBASIN'.and it all falls into place.if you were smashed out on drugs, you would, most likely lie down staring at the sky."i'm gonna write her name in the sky".
Because by the end, he professes his love for her, "I wanna write ypour name in the sky" I take that as the biggest thing a guy can do for his girl, show her and everyone how much you care for her by writing the name in the sky everyone will see it. And I think he sees what happens to all the other girls who were dumped by the gang memebers and now he feels bad for breaking up with his girl. It sounds like he belongs to a gang possibly, "the vampires" are his gang. But as the song progresses I think he's falling for her, I believe it is a love song, about today's world. And maybe he did break up with her or cared more about the bad boys then her.
I think maybe he was a bad boy, and tried to pretend he didn't care about his good girl girl friend. General CommentI love Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and this is one of thier best songs, but I think it might be the oppisite of what every one has been saying. The final chorus is a bittersweet reaffirmation of his freedom, now that he realizes it isn't the high ideal he had thought it was. But he lacks the courage to return to her (I'm gonna leave this world) and decides to continue his pursuit of freedom (fall out into nothing). This realization hurts him, and these lines reveal the true face of his lifestyle: an escapist's addiction, an ephemeral place of loneliness and worthless experiences. His lifestyle is idealized as the pursuit of freedom and superficial experience, which he realizes through his fling with the good girl lacks meaningful connection. The lines "I wanna free fall out into nothin' / Gonna leave this world for awhile" express escapism. Mulholland is a district of LA and a highway that leads westīad boys are vampires because they exploit women for sex, money, or experiences and then leave them hurt West down Venture leads out of the suburbs Reseda was a family-oriented suburb of LA when the song was writtenįreeways in LA cut right through residential areas in some places Verse 4 - Action - A bad boy realizes as he drives out of LA that he felt something for herĬhorus - Meaning - The bottom falls out as one bad boy realizes that in pursuing the ideal of freedom, he sacrifices meaningful connection Verse 3 - Setting - Bad boys exploit girls and then leave break their hearts.Ĭhorus - Meaning - Bad boys' freedom is at the expense of the women they hurt Verse 2 - Action - A bad boy has a short fling with her, leaves on the highwayĬhorus - Meaning - This bad boy loves his freedom and independence The meaning of the chorus changes in the context of the verse that precedes it, starting rough and celebratory and growing darker and bittersweet as the character is explored. If you understand the allusions, the verses have very simple meaning. It makes many allusions to Californian landmarks and culture, which are often confused as figurative statements by people not from California.