Songful Style: “Wildflowers!”

The weather here in Central Indiana has turned quite crisp. It’s just the way I like it. We could use some rain, though. Our yard is not looking too happy right now. The oldest and I are going to be doing some digging next spring. Our front yard has several spots where the contractors just scraped some soil over what used to be huge piles of pea gravel. Needless to say, the grass isn’t doing well there. But, that’s not what you came here for, right? Welcome to the last Monday in October and another edition of Songful Style! Suzy and Shelbee decided to riff (see what I did there) on Style Imitating Art only with music! Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Suzy of Suzy Turner, and I make up the bloggers in this group. You can find all of us on our blogs and Instagram.  Our ensembles (pun intended) may be inspired by the lyrics of a song, the artwork of the album cover, maybe the MTV video, or even a memory the song evokes. I chose this month’s song which is one of my favorites by Tom Petty. Last month, Suzy selected “These Dreams” by Heart. Oh, and there’s a link party, too!

The artist…

Tom Petty was born in Gainesville, Florida on October 20, 1950. His mother worked in a tax office, and his dad was a traveling salesman. He lived in the Northeast Gainesville Residential District which is also known as the Duckpond. A historical marker is located in the neighborhood and a close park is now the Tom Petty Park. It sounds like Petty had a pretty normal all American childhood. He attended Howard Bishop Middle School, played Little League baseball and basketball and graduated form Gainesville High School in 1968.

And, then…

Everything changed for the young Petty when he was 10 years old, the summer of 1961. His uncle was working on the set of Follow That Dream, a movie starring Elvis Presley. His uncle invited him to come to Ocala to watch the movie being filmed. Can you even imagine? Wow!!! A new Elvis fan was born in that instant. He returned home on a Saturday and traded his Wham-O slingshot for a collection of Elvis 45s. Petty said, “Elvis glowed.” I don’t know the movie, but I think Elvis was pretty stellar so I imagine there was some glow around!

And, then…

While Elvis inspired Petty to learn to play guitar, it was the Beatles who provided the impetus to form a band some day. He said, in 2006, when he saw the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show, he knew what he was going to do. The Rolling Stones showed him he and other musicians could actually make it in rock and roll. Petty said:

“The minute I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show—and it’s true of thousands of guys—there was the way out. There was a way to do it. You get your friends and you’re a self-contained unit. And you make the music. And it looked like so much fun. It was something I identified with. I had never been hugely into sports. … I had been a big fan of Elvis. But I really saw in the Beatles that here’s something I could do. I knew I could do it. It wasn’t long before there were groups springing up in garages all over the place.”

Still more…

Petty was more than just the frontman for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as well as Mudcrutch. He was also a songwriter and had a successful solo career. And, of course, I can’t leave out Petty being in the Traveling Wilburys. What a fabulous group of musicians that was! Over the years, he sold more than 80 million records wordwide. In 2002, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Did you know he also voiced the character of Lucky Kleinschmidt in “King of the Hill” from 2004 to 2009? I had no idea, but I will have to go back and find some of those episodes.

Even more…

After graduating (and a stint as a gravedigger), Petty formed a band called the Epics which became Mudcrutch. Two members (Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench) would follow him to the Heartbreakers. The band was popular in Gainesville, but that was about it. The group eventually split up, and Petty embarked on a solo career. The first lineup of the Heartbreakers included Petty, Campbell, Tench, Ron Blair and Stan Lynch. Although the United Kingdom liked their eponymous first album, the group didn’t have much success in the United States. In 1978, the group released You’re Gonna Get It! which broke into the Top 40 albums. Their third album, Damn the Torpedoes, went platinum and included several breakthrough singles. In all, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released 13 albums containing many chart toppers. The last one, Hypnotic Eye, was released in 2014.

A little more…

In 1985, the band played Live Aid at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia in front of 89,484 people. Also in that year, the album Southern Accents, was released. It contains “Don’t Come Around Here No More.” This has to be one of my favorite videos of all time! That’s one of the things about the Heartbreakers…their videos were often really fun. From 1988 to 1991, Petty was a founding member of the group, the Traveling Wilburys (more about this band here). Other members were Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Jeff Lynne. Each singer took on a Wilbury name. Their biggest hit was “End of the Line.”

A skosh more…

Full Moon Fever, a solo release, featured “I Won’t Back Down, “Free Fallin” (at our house we have a different name for this song), and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” By 1991, the Heartbreakers reformed and released Into the Great Wide Open which included “Learning to Fly” and “Into the Great Wide Open.” That video featured a very young Johnny Depp and is another example of the quirkiness of the Heartbreakers’ videos. Alone again, Petty released Wildflowers in 1994. As well as our inspiration track, this album included “You Don’t Know How It Feels, “You Wreck Me,” and “It’s Good to Be King.”

More…

During the benefit concert, America: A Tribute to Heroes, the band played “I Won’t Back Down.” It seems appropriate as the benefit was for the victims of the 9/11 attacks. In 2002, the band played songs at the Concert for George, a tribute to George Harrison and featuring Dhani Harrison, George’s son. In 2007, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers covered “I’m Walkin'” to the album Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino. Sales from this album bought instruments for students in New Orleans public schools and also contributed to the building of a community center in the Ninth Ward, heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The band continued to tour and record for many years with members, including Petty, releasing solo albums. In 2005, if you were a subscriber to XM Satellite Radio, you may have tuned into Petty’s show, “Buried Treasure” when he shared songs from his personal record collection. In 2015, the Tom Petty radio channel debuted on SiriusXM.

An actor even…

I mainly know Petty as a singer, but he has been in many different movies and TV shows. He had a cameo in 1978’s FM. In 1987, he was in Made in Heaven as well as appearing in several episodes on “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” playing himself as one of Shandling’s neighbors. Now, that would be cool…to claim Tom Petty as a neighbor! He also appeared on “The Larry Sanders Show.” Petty returned to film in The Postman in which he played the Bridge City Mayor. In 2002, he reached the penultimate for many…he was a tutor to Homer Simpson on The Simpsons. That episode also starred Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello, and Brian Setzer! The episode was titled “How I Spent My Strummer Vacation.”

As a spokesman…

Petty was well known for guarding his artistic control and artistic freedom. He fought and won a $1.00 increase on the album, “Hard Promises.” He sued the BF Goodrich company for using a song similar to “Mary’s New Car” in a TV commercial. The ad agency had asked for permission but had been refused. I guess they thought they could sneak one by Petty. Seriously, wouldn’t you think the artist would be even more diligent about those commercials after refusing use of their song? He also disputed George W Bush’s use of “I Won’t Back Down” for his presidential campaign. His family did the same for the 2020 Trump campaign, saying, “Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate.” At other times, Petty overlooked seeming similarities of his music, saying, “I seriously doubt that there is any negative intent there. And a lot of rock ‘n’ roll songs sound alike…If someone took my song note for note and stole it maliciously, then maybe [I’d sue]. But I don’t believe in lawsuits much. I think there are enough frivolous lawsuits in this country without people fighting over pop songs.”

The end…

In 1974, Petty married Jane Benyo, but the marriage ended in 1996. Following his divorce, Petty struggled with heroin addiction until 1999 after going to rehab. His then girlfriend, Dana York (later wife), convinced him to get clean. On May 17, 1987, Petty’s house was set on fire. Fortunately, the firefighters were able to save his basement recording studio as well as the original tapes stored there and his Gibson Dove acoustic guitar. Unfortunately, his signature gray top hat was destroyed. No one was ever caught for this crime. In 2017, the Heartbreakers set out on a 40th Anniversary Tour of the united States. It began on April 20th in Oklahoma City and ended on September 25th at the Hollywood Bowl in California. That particular concert ended with the song, “American Girl.” Reprise Records released An American Treasure, a box set of 60 tracks including “dozens of previously unreleased recordings, alternative versions of classic songs, rarities, historic live performances and deep tracks.” In July 2018, “Keep a Little Soul” was released. It was an outtake originally recorded in 1982.

Death…

I remember hearing about Tom Petty’s death early on October 1, 2017. Then, came news that he was still alive. Even though I’ve never seen Petty in concert, I still felt a strong connection to him as I watched so many of his videos on MTV back when it was good. I was so hopeful the news reports were wrong. Unfortunately, Tom Petty suffered cardiac arrest and was found by his wife. He was resuscitated and taken to the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica. He was put on life support and died at 8:40 pm PDT on October 2nd. His death was attributed to “an accidental overdose” as he was on several different pain relievers (including several opioids), benzodiazepines, and an antidepressant. Petty had been performing with a fractured hip, emphysema, and knee problems. While his doctors advised surgery, Petty was loathe to let down the members of his band for this tour. He planned it as his last before taking care of his hip. His wife, Dana said,

“He’d had it in mind it was his last tour and he owed it to his long-time crew, from decades some of them, and his fans.” Dana said that Petty was in a good mood the day before his death: “He had those three shows in L.A. Never had he been so proud of himself, so happy, so looking forward to the future—and then he’s gone (source).”

The song…

What it means…

I couldn’t really find much about what this song means. I think it’s as simple as it seems…it’s a song about finding your place in this world and being free to be you. Petty said this about the song:

“I just took a deep breath and it came out,” he said in a 2014 interview. “The whole song. Stream of consciousness: words, music, chords. Finished it. I mean, I just played it into a tape recorder and I played the whole song and I never played it again. I actually only spent three and a half minutes on that whole song. So I’d come back for days playing that tape, thinking there must be something wrong here because this just came too easy. And then I realized that there’s probably nothing wrong at all (source).”

The video…

This has to be one of my favorite videos of an artist. It’s so evocative of the song and living life in a bucolic place. I love the little CGI (I’m assuming) flowers popping up. The cat and the dog, just wandering along with Tom as they make their way through the wildflowers, just make me smile. I hope Tom’s life reflected the mood of this song for the most part.

Interesting covers…

This is a nice acoustic version. I truly like the girl’s voice better than the boy’s…and, man, can she harmonize!

I’m not necessarily a fan of Miley Cyrus, and, to be perfectly honest, I included this because of the fiddle player (fiddle, right…not violin?). It is a nice tribute and must have been recorded shortly after Petty’s death.

Now, this one is lovely…beautiful harmonizing, a fiddle, a banjo, a cello (maybe), and a mandolin!

This guy’s voice just lacks any passion, but I thought I’d leave it up to you to decide if you like it. I do like the mandolin and the banjo, though.

I’m not sure how old this dude is because he looks really young. He does a really good job with the song. I love the setting, too!

Whew…it took a bit, but I finally found one that really hit it for me. This is a completely different sound, but I like it!

Unfortunately, my favorite Norwegian heavy metal rocker, Leo, has let me down yet again! No “Wildflowers” from him.

My interpretation…

I actually bought this Botanical Garden dress a few weeks ago. As the weather was still warm, I hadn’t had a chance to wear it. But, once I’d picked “Wildflowers,” I knew this was the perfect dress for it. It has a black background, but I have to admit I really dislike the white inside. I know that’s supposed to mean it’s of lower quality, but I don’t necessarily feel that. It just bothers me when I roll up the sleeves. At least, it doesn’t have those annoying tabs and buttons! It does, however, have pockets! I may hem it because it’s a titch too long. I know I’m going to wear it open as a duster as well as wearing a belt with it. If I wear a belt, that may draw it up a little too much…ah, the woes of being vertically challenged!

The Lewk!

And, it’s still warm so I’m wearing my Delight wedge sandals. I was going to wear boots with this dress. But, it’s also at that weird length where booties show too much leg, and long boots are just too much. I pulled out my trusty wedges because they have flowers, too! Next up was this nifty necklace from J Jill a season or two ago. I thought the gold thingamabobs seemed more rose gold than true gold so I added rose gold earrings and bracelets. As you can see, they really don’t match, but they aren’t close enough to even matter. The cuff and the sparkly bracelet are from Kendra Scott. The other bracelet and earrings are from Stella and Dot.

Wrap it up, Marsha!

I could have gone on and on. If you want to read more about Tom Petty, here is the link. I think it’s so interesting that Elvis and the Beatles were so influential in the life of this rock ‘n’ roll superstar. I must admit I wasn’t always a fan, but Nigel continued to play his music. And, I became a convert. His voice is so unique, but it is the songs (and the videos) that are so compelling. So, can we talk? Who are your rock idols? Did you know Tom Petty was an actor, too? Which cover did you like best? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.

Thank you!

Thank you so very much for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed it. I also very much appreciate those of you who comment, email and/or subscribe. It’s what keeps me going! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.

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Where you can find me:

Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style,  Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!

And, now, it’s your turn!

Please link up your favorite posts, DIY, baking, gardening, fashion…you name it…as long as it’s family friendly! Link up with me, visit a couple of others, and leave a comment or two! No worries if you don’t have a blog, just look around! You may find a new blog just waiting for you!

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