Wildflowers

My favorite song was always “Wildflowers”. Do you know it? It’s not the one most people think of when they think of Tom Petty, but it always had a way of speaking to me like only music can.

“You belong, among the wildflowers,
You belong in a boat, out at sea,
Sail away, kill off the hours,
You belong somewhere you feel free”

At least I think those are the words, they are the words I always sing. I’ve had the cd since I was a youngster (like 20), purchased along with a concert tee at the only Tom Petty concert I ever attended. I had a bad sideview seat, but it was still a pretty awesome concert.

It’s not my favorite memory of Tom Petty, though. My favorite memory happened during the time immediately after 9/11, during a fundraising telethon that a heap of actors, actresses and musicians were hosting. I remember him on the TV screen, following one of the most horrific events of my life, playing the guitar and belting out that “we won’t back down” in a way that made us all stand a little taller. It still gives me those goosebumps you get when feel that connection to the rest of the world, and when I hear that song, that’s what I remember. Many people were belting out along with Tom Petty that night that you could “stand (us) up at the gates of hell but (we) won’t back down”.

It was surreal to me today, hearing about another horrible, heart wrenching attack, and then hearing that Tom Petty was gone. It made me remember the way we felt after 9/11, and the way he brought us all together with that song. That was our fight song. (Take back our life song!)

It was a bad news day today, it has been a bad news day for so many days now I can’t even remember a good news day. It’s hard sometimes, to keep a positive outlook “in a world that keeps on pushing you around”. It’s not much to offer to those who have lost so much, but I can promise that I will not be backing down. Not for terror, not for hate, not for fear. (There ain’t no easy way out)

I looked up Wildflowers for you, I couldn’t resist. In it’s own way, it’s a fight song, too. After all, we all belong somewhere we feel free.

Wildflowers, Tom Petty
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free
Run away, find you a lover
Go away somewhere all bright and new
I have seen no other
Who compares with you
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free
Run away, go find a lover
Run away, let your heart be your guide
You deserve the deepest of cover
You belong in that home by and by
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong somewhere close to me
Far away from your trouble and worries
You belong somewhere you feel free
You belong somewhere you feel free