10 Amazing Rock Songs Written For Movies
7. Walls - Tom Petty
It seemed that Tom Petty had just done the impossible after coming off of Wildflowers. After over a decade in the game we call rock and roll, Petty still had something to say, with some of his most revealing lyrics he has ever put to tape. So where to go from here except into....bland soundtrack territory.
Though the actual film She's the One isn't the worst thing in the world, the soundtrack feels like Petty on autopilot, even going so far as to pull out obscure Beck songs to cover. In spite of all the blandness surrounding this album, the opening single Walls might be one of the most lively tracks that made the cut. Inspired by talks he had with country legend Johnny Cash, Petty's voice sounds as laid back as ever, almost like he knows he has a hit on his hands and is going to let the music do the talking.
As fun as this song is, it tends to be a little bittersweet considering the sad trajectory Petty's life would take in the next few years with albums like Echo and the death of bassist Howie Epstein. More than just a typical soundtrack tune, Walls works as both a companion piece to She's the One and a nice send off for one of Petty's most fruitful songwriting eras.