10 Greatest Love Songs In Rock

In the classic rock world, no other artist managed to settle into their middle age quite like Tom Petty did. After conquering the rock world in the late '70s off the strength of Damn the Torpedoes, his first solo outings on Full Moon Fever ignited interest in him again with songs like Free Fallin and Runnin Down a Dream. Even though the Heartbreakers themselves may have been in exile, Petty unpacked his acoustic and delivered a ray of happiness on Wildflowers.

For as much as this song feels like a pure declaration of love, it was actually written at a time when Tom was slowly starting his separation from his first wife. You wouldn't know it from the lyrics though, which paints Petty's muse as a thing of beauty that deserves to be along some of the gorgeous things that nature has to offer. The real power behind the song comes in its simplicity, as Tom could be singing about his lover or even his dog for all anyone knows.

In essence, the song almost works as an anti-love song, going so far as to tell his significant other to run away and find new lovers down the line. Even if this romance isn't meant to last, the uplifting mood hints at bold new horizons happening just around the corner.