Swingin'
Tomm Petty and the Heartbreakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In her boots and silver spurs
Gonna hitchhike to the yellow moon
When a Cadillac stopped for her
And she said, "Hey, nice to meet you, are you goin' my way?"
Yeah, that's when it happened
The world caught fire that day
Yeah, she went down swingin'
Well, she was over twenty-one
In trouble with the law
And it didn't faze her none
She called her mother-in-law
And said I need a little money
I knew I could count on you
After that night in Vegas
And the hell that we went through
We went down swingin'
Like Benny Goodman
Yeah, we went down swingin'
Moonlight on the interstate
She was 'cross the Georgia line
Looked out the window feeling great
Yeah, it had to come in time
And she said I'm never goin' back
She said at last I'm free
I wish ma could see me now, she'd be so proud of me
She went down swingin'
Like Glenn Miller
Yeah, she went down swingin'
Like Tommy Dorsey
Yeah, she went down swingin'
Like Sammy Davis
She went down swingin'
Like Sonny Liston
The song “Swingin’” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is a story of a rebellious and adventurous woman who goes on a journey to find her freedom. The song describes her hitchhiking on a highway, where she meets a guy and the world around them seems to catch fire. They both go down swinging, trying to make the most of every moment.
The woman in the song is over twenty-one, in trouble with the law, and calls her mother-in-law to help her out. She remembers the time she had in Vegas and the difficult days that followed. She leaves it all behind and heads across the Georgia line, feeling free at last. She compares going down swinging to Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey, famous swing band leaders from the 1930s and 1940s, as well as to Sonny Liston, the former world heavyweight boxing champion.
The overall theme of the song is about living life to the fullest, chasing freedom and experiencing joy, regardless of your past choices or consequences. The woman chose to embrace life in her own way, despite her troubles, and went down swinging.
Overall, the song is an ode to recklessness, freedom, and the thrill of adventure. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and its catchy chorus is unforgettable. The song has been popular among classic rock fans for decades and is a testament to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ enduring influence on American rock music.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, she was standing by the highway
She was waiting by the road
In her boots and silver spurs
She was wearing fancy cowboy boots
Gonna hitchhike to the yellow moon
She planned on hitchhiking to a faraway place
When a Cadillac stopped for her
A fancy car stopped next to her
And she said, "Hey, nice to meet you, are you goin' my way?"
She greeted the driver and asked if they were headed in the same direction
Yeah, that's when it happened
Something unexpected occurred
The world caught fire that day
A significant event took place
And she went down swingin'
She faced challenges with determination
Yeah, she went down swingin'
She faced challenges with determination
Well, she was over twenty-one
She was a legal adult
In trouble with the law
She had legal problems
And it didn't faze her none
She was not bothered by this
She called her mother-in-law
She contacted her husband's mother
And said I need a little money
She asked for financial help
I knew I could count on you
She was confident her mother-in-law would help her
After that night in Vegas
She referred to a previous event in Las Vegas
And the hell that we went through
She went through a difficult experience
We went down swingin'
She faced challenges with determination, along with another person or people
Like Benny Goodman
They faced challenges like the famous jazz musician
Yeah, we went down swingin'
They faced challenges with determination
Moonlight on the interstate
The highway was illuminated by the moon
She was 'cross the Georgia line
She crossed the border into Georgia
Looked out the window feeling great
She looked through the window and felt wonderful
Yeah, it had to come in time
This feeling had to happen eventually
And she said I'm never goin' back
She vowed to never return to her previous life/ways
She said at last I'm free
She felt liberated
I wish ma could see me now, she'd be so proud of me
She wished her mother could see her now and be proud
Like Glenn Miller
She faced challenges like the famous jazz musician
Yeah, she went down swingin'
She faced challenges with determination
Like Tommy Dorsey
She faced challenges like the famous jazz musician
Yeah, she went down swingin'
She faced challenges with determination
Like Sammy Davis
She faced challenges like the famous entertainer
She went down swingin'
She faced challenges with determination
Like Sonny Liston
She faced challenges like the famous boxer
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: Tom Petty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ProperZen
Tom Petty always was always there. 70’ radio when I was a kid in my dad’s truck with “Breakdown” and “Refugee”. And early MTV with “Stop Draggin My Heart Around” and “Don’t Come Around Here.”
Then MTV was huge and there was Petty as the cat in the hat, the Wilbury’s or on tour as Dylan’s band. Damn.
And it just kept going into the 90’s with the one two punch of “Full Moon Fever” and “Into the Great Wide Open” followed by the single “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”
He was always there. Great music. So good live. That Souther drawl and easy smile. And the beautiful music: tight hooks and every song it’s own story.
I liked that he was there. I liked the world with Tom Petty in it; the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame sublime “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
This song with its melancholy shuffle and the video’s angles guts me. The hat is in a closet somewhere, his scarfs stashed away. I feel a knot in my stomach.
Tom Petty is not in the world any more. And I won’t ever see him live again or read about he’s newest album coming out.
I miss him. The world is a beautiful place. Truly beautiful. But it was a better place when he was here too.
@industrialdrama466
A Florida Boy becomes a national treasure. And he went down swinging.
@jimboloper1819
Several of um has brother. 😢😢😢😢
@dr.buzzvonjellar8862
National treasure and his legend will grow. What a writer
@SCBeatty1
The thing about Tom Petty is, unlike pretty much EVERYONE else who hangs onto their musical career for more than a decade, his music never lost it's raw, authentic quality. It never became formulaic, flat, safe, or lifeless. For the most part, the music from every stage of his career is as enjoyable as any other stage. Seriously, who else can you say that about?
@saspinks3001
SC Beatty - You hit the nail on the head. So true.
@joeruiz4010
Amen dude. Not only is it that, Tom Petty has influenced or had some kind of noted influence on nearly every rock and roll, hard rock, metal, heavy/thrash metal, and grunge band that formed from the 80's-Present. He's even influenced a massive amount of Country artists/bands as well.
@sameoldthing4037
Tom Petty was indeed great. You will get no argument from me there. However there are several others who have left behind( and who are still alive as well) a large body of work which did change with the times. I have broadened my taste in music quite a bit over the past few years and I have discovered many artists that I wish I had not been so close minded as to not discover them years ago! I like rock, I like country, I like some pop music Etc... But most of all I like any music where the poet / songwriter puts his / her heart and soul into their music and has a message in it. Or a Feeling in it that almost anyone can relate to in some way.
@evelynbaron2004
I wrote an article about this particular video which I thought was a masterpiece :). May get it recognized... not important. What pissed me off the most in the episode where the heroines lover is falling to his death is the utter, criminal spectator sport it was for the people around the pool below. Cheers, loved your post!
@evelynbaron2004
This particular video fascinated me for a vr long time, not because it was more moving emotionally than his other work but for its complexity. As a video it packs a big punch. I read something from a thoughtful poster who thought Jackson Browne was more cerebral -- watch this and that argument falls apart, as much as I respected the writer. I thought about it for days and days -- he could do anything, and yes, still wish he were still here with his love on his arm. The way of the world.
@alanlamb7062
This gentleman is one of the most important figures in all of American music, enough said.