Lyrics for Learning To Fly as interpreted by oofus

Learning To Fly Lyrics
Well I started out down a dirty road
Started out all alone
And the sun went down as I crossed the hill
And the town lit up, the world got still

I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing

Well the good ol' days may not return
And the rocks might melt and the sea may burn

I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing

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

I'm learning to fly, around the clouds,
But what goes up must come down

I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing

(Repeat Chorus)

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  • 41 Comments
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Cory_420
04-25-2002

Rated 0 
This song may be obvious, but i would say it is definetly about getting high. And thats about it.



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roger wilco
05-18-2002

Rated 0 
this is one of my favourite Tom Petty songs.

definitely about weed. amen!

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1 Reply
DazzdNCnfused
07-07-2002

Rated 0 
i think its alittle more than just about weed, its about how people think they are alone and just get into drugs, i mean, the rocks are melting? its obviously about more hardcore drugs than pot,hence why he can fly without wings.

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ZeeQuick
07-19-2002

Rated 0 
Not all petty songs have to be all about weed. This song may actually have some religious tones to it. The rocks melting and the sea burning could represent fire down below him, a reference to hell. I think its about life in general. You start from nothing and don't know where it will take you. You just try and get over as many obsticles as you can and take the ups with the downs

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pettyfreak...
04-01-2003

Rated 0 
zeequick i agree with you again! PEOPLE GET THIS THROUGH YOUR HEAD! NOT ALL TOMPETTY SONGS ARE ABOUT DRUGS OR WEED! I MEAN HEY I LOVE WEED BUT NOT ALL OF HIS SONGS ARE ABOUT IT. sorry i just had to get that off my chest. oh ya about the song, if you search for tompetty songs on a search engine and go to this song you will find, well at least i found a website that posted tom petty interveiws about his songs, and tom petty said in an interveiw about this song that he was talkin to a pilot that flew him to state to state for shows. and he said "i bet its hard to fly a plane" and the pilot said "no its actually pretty easy but coming down is the hardest part" petty told the interveiwer that once he heard that he just started to roll the rest of the song out off his tounge with not such a meaning. thanks...


petty rocks!

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BigHeadJed
04-28-2003

Rated 0 
i think that the drugs are not the main subject in this song, he is just using them to escape from the crappy reality hes been in (life will beat you down Break your heart, steal your crown)

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vipergt196
06-06-2003

Rated 0 
uhhhh, i think you guys are trying to look for metaphors that arent there. This song isnt about drugs, or religion. Its simply about life. He's learning to fly, meaning, he is learning how to live. Coming down, like he gets hurt in different ways, but he still gets back up. And god damn, the most obvious part where it talks about life beating you down, HELLO! DOES ANYBODY HAVE A BRAIN? He finishes off by saying he doesnt know where he will end up, until he gets there. Damn i thought there were more smart people out there, guess not.

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shed27
06-24-2003

Rated 0 
i gotta agree with pettyfreak...people on this site r takin the drugs thing way overboard...i'm sure there r some references to drugs in toms songs, but every damn lyric is not about drugs.
i think this song is just about life in general. he starts out alone no idea what expect, shit happens and trys to knock u down, but eventually u learn to get over it and move on. and
"So I've started out, for God knows where
I guess I'll know when I get there" just describes the future...he doesnt know what will happen until it happens

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shed27
06-24-2003

Rated +1 
i found an explination of this song in a book about tom petty

"I think i was coming to grips with the view that you can be optimistic, hopeful and as good a person as you want to be, but its not going to make life simple for you. Nothing will. You can have all the success you want and its not going to make your life-really your personal life-much easier than anyone else's. The song was also influenced by the Gulf War. It was written during the time the war was breaking out, everything was very grey, and there were burning oceans and oil fires. I was disappointed by the war and the attitude of the American people. I certainly didn't blame the soldiers for going there, but I felt that few people wanted to challenge the Bush administration on its lies. It was a bad time and I really think it influenced the tone of the album(Into the Great Wide Open)."

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dirkthediggler1976
04-29-2004

Rated 0 
This one of my favoriate songs. But does anyone remember the video? filmed in black & white with scenes from the 60's -nuclear explosion, Robert Kennedy shot, and my personal favoriate, the pool boy getting seduced by the rich, vally girl. This kid later seen dressed as a hippie getting high. Mix all that with the lyrics:

" And the town lit up, the world got still "

" Well the good ol' days may not return
And the rocks might melt and the sea may burn "

This song speaks of fear that was pervasive during the 60's. The kid in the song gets high or " learns to fly " to escape the stark reality around him (in this case, the nuclear scare and political turmoil that marked the early 60's). Sounds like reading too much in to it? Watch the video, and it's not too far off.

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amixtapememory
05-27-2004

Rated 0 
tom petty has said himself that he doesn't write songs about pot. he says there isn't enough to write about. people stereo type petty's songs to be about weed because of song titles like 'mary jane' & stuff, but he's said himself he's never written a song about the drug.

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Boo Urns
06-11-2004

Rated 0 
he was also clean at the time he wrote it.

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srp8621
11-29-2004

Rated 0 
Folks, this song is somewhat about getting high.
Maybe not pot, but drugs are an element.

I mean for God's sake, have you seen the video?
You know, that part where the kid does the acid?

Sure, the metaphors that he uses are applicable
in many ways. And I think that's part of the point of
the video (the kid learns something new, "learns to
fly" in each segment). But to deny the partial drug
message is just gullibility.

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musicman144
06-06-2005

Rated 0 
i think that although this song may have some pretty ambiguous undertones referring to drugs, alot of things can sound like they refer to drugs (flying, falling, escape etc) in my opinion, this song is all about just letting go and breaking free from the barriers set by society and just doing your own thing. it could very well be drugs he is referring to though which is what he is using to set his mind free and allowing him to fly...

I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing

maybe he's been pretty pessimistic his entire life or has just given in and hasn't thought for himself and he's just beginning to understand that everyone's free so he's just getting the hang of optimism. the coming down part is a pretty strong reference to drugs, but could also refer to depression or restraints holding him down from breaking free and flying.

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JustChillen
01-12-2006

Rated 0 
god damn...all his songs dont have to be about weed...
dont be so ingnorant...this guy is a lyrical genius

this song is more about life...the challenges we face and getting over them

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hoeitschris
03-17-2006

Rated 0 
lol @ everyone who thinks petty can only write about drugs.

I think like pettyfreak said this song was also highly influenced by the war and by his pilot. to me it seems that he is talking about getting used to life on tour and flying all over the world.

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thepriceisright
04-03-2006

Rated 0 
drugs. drugs. drugs. It's about drugs, you idiots.
And what the hell do you mean tom petty doesn't have any songs about drugs? all his songs are about drugs. you people need to toke up and understand the music.

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_Immortal_
04-04-2006

Rated 0 
For the millionth time, This song isn't about drugs. It's about life...and how when we first start out we're "learning to fly". The lyrics reflect how life has its ups and downs and how we're just trying to figure out everything. "learning to fly".

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WhiteHorse
05-24-2006

Rated 0 
Alright guys... Listen and learn.

This song IS about drugs. If you knew _ANYTHING_ about tom petty, you would know that.

It is about Hallucinogens. We will never know which one unless he admitted to taking drugs plain and simple, but you have to be an ignorant MORON to say this song isn't about drugs.

I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing

Because most of you that said "its not about drugs" have never even /taken/ drugs, ill explain it too you.

"Im learning to fly" He is experiencing a drug trip. He is feeling what its like to be one with everything. To be one with the universe.

"but I ain't got wings" He can take drugs all he wants, and that will make him FEEL like he is one with the universe, but as long as he is trapped in a conciousness, and ego, he is NOT one with the universe.

"Coming down is the hardest thing" Coming down. It means to fade back into reality, and fade out of the drug trip. Coming down (on most drugs) is a terrible, depressing feeling. That is why he says "is the hardest thing".

I'm sick of you idiots coming on here and posting "Its not abotu drugs Its not abour drugs!" under everysingle good rock song. Tom Petty's whole musical career, his whole musical style, is HEAVILY influenced by drugs. Don't talk untill you've actually been on the same drug, and you can actually RELATE to what he is singing about.

Jesus fucking christ, thats like saying "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd isn't about heroin.

Or "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" isnt about LSD.

Fuck off you assholes.

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RobBay
06-24-2006

Rated 0 
Your wrong buddy.....
I remember reading in Rolling Stones or some maginzine that the song started when Tom Petty was talkin to his Pilot of the plane he was on.... and Tom Asked if it was hard to fly.. and the pilot said no its pretty easy to learn but the hardest thing is trying to come down and land.

It seems to have a drug reference to it but any song seems to have a drug reference to it....

Sorry stoners to bust your bubble but its not about drugs

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vipergt196
07-23-2006

Rated 0 
haha that was funny robbay. You are correct about the pilot thing also. I have read that too. And WhiteHorse---i have done my fair share of drugs, however i am not a complete moron to associate everything with them. Grow up, and then maybe you'll understand this song and how it is NOT about drugs. Sure there might be certain references, but the overall meaning has nothing to do with drugs.

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ten years gone.
07-29-2006

Rated 0 
White Horse.
Shut the hell up.
Comfortably Numb is about Novacaine (sp?)
Rodger Waters says it in an interview.

I agree with pettyfreak.

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TomPetty2144
08-06-2006

Rated 0 
This song is just about life. Growing up and realizing why your here and who you are. And fuck off whitehorse thats bullshit. Tom Petty is more than a singer about drugs you fucking moron.

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TomPetty2144
08-06-2006

Rated 0 
And whitehorse pretty sure i know just a tad bit more about Petty than you. Fuckin prick.

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JohnVoda
01-04-2007

Rated 0 
I think that this song is just about you can "fly".. but you have to come down.. which sucks... but you love learning how to fly

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