Why does the pain caused by the passing of our music legends cut deeply and lingers?
The passing of Tom Petty reminds us again how time passes but more cruelly deludes us. The magic of musicians like Petty is that their careers are a constant for many fans; on a continuous loop of releasing records and ensuing tours which captivates not only those from decades ago but newer generations discovering the brilliant individuality of their music.
When younger musicians flame out like Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse or even The Notorious B.I.G the loss is understood in the context of a life lived on a knife’s edge that parried between musical genius and oblivion. Conversely, the profound effect of losing a Tom Petty runs like a deep ache, leaving people in a state of numbed disbelief.
When you had artists like Prince, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie and now Tom Petty who had all survived through several deranged decades immersed in rock n roll, drugs, and the untimely deaths of fellow musicians, but yet still in the end managed to rise above the fray, albeit with a battle weariness, with constant touring and occasionally new music… well it’s more easily understood why legends just aren’t meant to die. It is a paradoxical blend of mortality and mythology.
Petty will remain an American treasure for his innate ability to convey the American spirit through the ordinary experience of the everyday person. He was a songwriter with an incredible mastery to blend Cali-rock with the bluesy undertones of his southern roots. His songs always had a sense of adventure, the journey of the individual motivated by their heart calling. Consider the stinging line from Free Fallin’ before the heralding joy of the chorus’.
And I’m bad boy for cause I don’t even miss her,
I’m bad boy for breaking her heart.
or in Learning to Fly,
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
It’s jumping feet first into the unknown, so something which would normally be terrifying, when sung by Petty, transcends into optimism in a hymn-like sense.
Several years ago, it was Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers song, I Won’t Back Down which gave me the courage to quit my awful, but well paying job, I don’t even know how I found the song but at the time I was so miserable in my job but didn’t really have any aspirations to change anything because how much better could I really do? However, at some point this song helped tipped the scale, changing my motivation of fear into resilience in the face of uncertainty.
Hey, baby, there ain’t no easy way out (I won’t back down)
And this is what sets Tom Petty apart from other musicians; his music embeds itself in our lives; beloved by fans and emulated by other artists often paling in stark comparison - sorry Foo Fighter’s Wheels from their Greatest Hits release (although I pay the acoustic version).
As Petty croons in the Travelling Wilburys’ End Of The Line he points out with clarity to why that musical train will keep rolling on;
Maybe somewhere down the road aways (end of the line) You’ll think of me, wonder where I am these days (end of the line) Maybe somewhere down the road when somebody plays (end of the line) Purple haze
A truly sad day but a legacy that is truly worth remembering and celebrating.
#tom petty#tom petty and the heartbreakers#in memoriam#rip tom petty#rip#rocknroll#traveling wilburys#learning to fly#music
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