Tom Petty's Walls

[michelej1]

[I liked this discussion of the song]

Culture Map Houston, September 26, 2010 by Jim Beviglia

http://culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-...-inspired-one/

If I asked you which Fleetwood Mac member made the greatest contribution to Petty’s recording career, you might answer Stevie Nicks in a heartbeat, and it would be hard to argue against that since she popped up several times and the two sang a duet that was a major hit. But what if I told you that Lindsey Buckingham ran a closer second in this race than you might think?

You see, it’s Buckingham who arranged and sang the endlessly fascinating layers of backing vocals that make this version of “Walls” so special, elevating a great song into a spectacular one. Since this version is subtitled “Circus,” Buckingham fittingly creates the aural equivalent of a Hall of Mirrors, his voice seconding Petty’s admonitions in skewed proportions at seemingly impossible angles to a reticent girl. One can imagine her, at the center of this barrage, finally grasping the full magnitude of what she has lost.

And it is ultimately a loss, as hinted by Petty’s final set of opposites in his brilliantly conceived lyrics: “Part of me you carry/Part of me is gone.” It’s a tough position to be in when you’re apologizing for someone else’s mistakes, but TP never shows anger or disdain for this girl’s standoffishness; he simply gives her all the evidence he can so that she might see the unseen hurt that such a stance can produce.

Some might prefer the quieter charms of “Walls (No. 3),” but, to me, the huge production here is necessary to thaw this frozen heart. I saw it once, but I honestly can’t remember too much about She’s the One, the Ed Burns movie to which Petty granted this song. But if for no other reason than it inspired this magnificent effort, well, then that long-forgotten flick certainly served its purpose.