• Many people assume that this song is about drugs, but it isn't. Petty got the idea for it when he saw a pilot being interviewed on TV. The pilot said how it wasn't hard learning to fly... the hardest part was coming down.
• The song was written in 1991 by Tom Petty and his Traveling Wilburys colleague, former ELO frontman Jeff Lynne. It is based on only four simple chords: F, C, A minor, and G.
• Julien Temple, who also did Petty's "Free Fallin'," directed the video, which shows a young boy in various key moments of adolescence, as he gets his wings.
• Pink Floyd beat Petty to the title, releasing their "Learning To Fly" in 1987. Their song was also sparked by aviation argot - lead singer Dave Gilmour was taking flying lessons. Pink Floyd was moving forward after shedding their founding member, Roger Waters, so the song is a metaphor for finding their wings without him.

Thanks for reading!

CATW