A Spark of Brilliance: Behind the Unfiltered Tom Petty Classic That He Wrote in Under Four Minutes

Tom Petty’s lyrics have also been a treat to behold. He was one of heartland rock’s finest artists, and he’s still sorely missed years after his passing in 2017. In the context of his songwriting, it’s not exactly surprising that it often didn’t take Petty long to pen a megahit tune or two. One such hit was a chart-topping folk-rock hit from 1994, “Wildflowers”. The song was the title track of a similarly commercially successful album that was packed with other noteworthy hits, but Tom Petty wrote “Wildflowers” in under four minutes.

Videos by American Songwriter

For a song of that caliber, that’s really surprising. Or is it?

Tom Petty wrote “Wildflowers” in a matter of minutes. And when you read between the lines, that actually makes sense. The lyrics of this song are almost stream-of-consciousness in how they describe Petty’s headspace at the time. He even verified that in writing.

“I just took a deep breath and it came out,” said Petty of “Wildflowers”. “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.”

The Story Behind “Wildflowers”, the Song Tom Petty Wrote in Only Four Minutes

Petty divorced his wife in 1996 after the album’s completion, but the song itself seems to shine a light on what was going on in Petty’s subconscious. The notion that his marriage was already in trouble is hinted at in the lyrics of “Wildflowers”.

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 deepest of cover,
You belong in that home by and by.

It’s also widely believed that Petty struggled with h*roin abuse following his divorce in 1996. Fortunately, he got clean after a rehab stint in 1999. However, Wildflowers as a whole album seems to show a man swimming in his own mind, and it was almost like a sign of what was to come. Petty was likely struggling in his life when Wildflowers and its title track were in the works. That song is really vulnerable in a way that only Petty could muster.

If you’re a fan of “Wildflowers”, check out a home recording of the song that was released a few years after Petty’s passing in 2020. Even without wild production techniques, Petty was still quite an incredible musician.

Photo by Mick Hutson/Redferns