Runnin' Down a Dream
Encyclopedia
"Runnin' Down a Dream" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by Tom Petty
. It was released in July 1989 as the second single from his first solo album Full Moon Fever
. "Runnin' Down a Dream" achieved reasonable chart success, reaching number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart and the top of the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. It has since garnered significant airplay on classic rock
stations, and lent its name to the 2007 documentary
on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
. It was also a nod to Petty's musical roots, with the lyric me and Del were singin' "Little Runaway" making reference to Del Shannon
and "Runaway
". "Runnin'" was the thematic and musical inverse to the same album's "Free Fallin'
", motion in kind but direction in difference. The main riff was propulsive, overdubbing itself in a battle of acoustic guitar
against snare drum
with fuzz guitar laced underneath and with vocal "ooh-oooh"s interspersed.
for "Runnin'", directed by Jim Lenahan, featured animation
, based on several episodes of the classic comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay
, featuring a drawing style reminiscent of McCay's and showing Petty and a character who resembles Flip travelling through Slumberland.
and was the official theme song of the 2006 NBA Finals
as well as the 2008 NBA Finals
. The song was also used by ABC
in the 2010 NBA Finals when the presentation of the game reached the end of the third quarter and was phased out into a commercial break. The song is playable in Guitar Hero 5
and was released as downloadable content for Rock Band 2
. It closed Petty and the Heartbreakers' performance at the February 2008 Super Bowl XLII Halftime Show, encoda'ed with a long Mike Campbell guitar solo. It was also used in promotional segments of the 2008 MLB World Series. In 2011, the song was included in Tom Hanks
's film Larry Crowne
and on its soundtrack.
/metal artist Wednesday 13
covered the song on his Bloodwork EP.
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
. It was released in July 1989 as the second single from his first solo album Full Moon Fever
Full Moon Fever
Full Moon Fever is the first solo album by Tom Petty, though it features contributions from several members of his backing band, the Heartbreakers, along with fellow members of the Traveling Wilburys. The record shows Petty exploring his musical roots with nods to his influences...
. "Runnin' Down a Dream" achieved reasonable chart success, reaching number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and the top of the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. It has since garnered significant airplay on classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
stations, and lent its name to the 2007 documentary
Runnin' Down a Dream (film)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down A Dream is a 2007 documentary about Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, directed by Peter Bogdanovich. The 4-hour documentary chronicles the history of the band, from its inception as Mudcrutch, right up to the 30th anniversary concert in Petty's home town...
on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
History
The song was full of various influences, including those of the Heartbreakers, as it was co-written by Mike Campbell, along with Petty and Jeff LynneJeff Lynne
Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...
. It was also a nod to Petty's musical roots, with the lyric me and Del were singin' "Little Runaway" making reference to Del Shannon
Del Shannon
Del Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...
and "Runaway
Runaway (Del Shannon song)
"Runaway" was a number-one Billboard Hot 100 song made famous by Del Shannon in 1961. It was written by Shannon and keyboardist Max Crook, and became a major international hit...
". "Runnin'" was the thematic and musical inverse to the same album's "Free Fallin'
Free Fallin'
"Free Fallin" is the opening track from Tom Petty's 1989 solo album, Full Moon Fever. The song was written by Petty and his writing partner for the album, Jeff Lynne...
", motion in kind but direction in difference. The main riff was propulsive, overdubbing itself in a battle of acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
against snare drum
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
with fuzz guitar laced underneath and with vocal "ooh-oooh"s interspersed.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Runnin'", directed by Jim Lenahan, featured animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
, based on several episodes of the classic comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay
Winsor McCay
Winsor McCay was an American cartoonist and animator.A prolific artist, McCay's pioneering early animated films far outshone the work of his contemporaries, and set a standard followed by Walt Disney and others in later decades...
, featuring a drawing style reminiscent of McCay's and showing Petty and a character who resembles Flip travelling through Slumberland.
In popular culture
It was used on the soundtrack for the videogame Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
and was the official theme song of the 2006 NBA Finals
2006 NBA Finals
The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005–06 National Basketball Association season. The Miami Heat won the championship in six games over the Dallas Mavericks, winning the final game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and becoming the third team to win a championship...
as well as the 2008 NBA Finals
2008 NBA Finals
The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a...
. The song was also used by ABC
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
in the 2010 NBA Finals when the presentation of the game reached the end of the third quarter and was phased out into a commercial break. The song is playable in Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
and was released as downloadable content for Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
. It closed Petty and the Heartbreakers' performance at the February 2008 Super Bowl XLII Halftime Show, encoda'ed with a long Mike Campbell guitar solo. It was also used in promotional segments of the 2008 MLB World Series. In 2011, the song was included in Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
's film Larry Crowne
Larry Crowne
Larry Crowne is a 2011 American romantic comedy film starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. The film was directed by Hanks, who co-wrote its screenplay with Nia Vardalos...
and on its soundtrack.
Cover versions
Horror punkHorror punk
Horror punk is a music genre that mixes Gothic and punk rock sounds with morbid imagery and lyrics, which are often influenced by horror films...
/metal artist Wednesday 13
Wednesday 13
Joseph Poole, better known as Wednesday 13 , is a rock musician from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is most famous for his role as the frontman of the Murderdolls...
covered the song on his Bloodwork EP.
Charts
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 23 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 23 |
| UK Singles Chart | 55 |