☝️ Key Points
- The song addresses the challenges and difficulties of life, especially the process of growing up and learning.
- Flight is used as a metaphor for pursuing higher goals and achieving dreams, even if the necessary 'wings' or skills may be lacking.
- A sense of melancholy and acceptance is expressed, acknowledging that life changes and doesn't always remain as it was.
- Hard truths of life, including disappointment and loss, are addressed.
- The uncertainty and unknown of life and the future are emphasized, but also the willingness to embrace the unknown and learn from it.
Interpretation
The song 'Learning to Fly' by
Tom Petty is about the challenges and difficulties of life and the process of growing up and learning. The line 'Well I started out Down a dirty road' suggests a difficult start or a tough journey, while 'Started out All alone' indicates an individual or solitary experience.
The chorus 'I'm learning to fly, But I ain't got wings. Coming down Is the hardest thing' uses flying as a metaphor for pursuing higher goals or achieving dreams, even if the necessary 'wings' or abilities may be lacking. The 'Coming down' could represent the harsh reality that follows the pursuit of those goals.
In the lines 'Well the good ol' days May not return And the rocks might melt And the sea may burn', Petty shows a certain melancholy and acceptance that life doesn't always stay the same as it was and that changes are inevitable.
The lines 'Well some say life Will beat you down Break your heart Steal your crown' depict some of the harsh truths of life, including disappointment and loss.
Finally, 'So I've started out For God knows where I guess I'll know When I get there' emphasizes the uncertainty and unknowns of life and the future, but also the willingness to embrace the unknown and learn from it.