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Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Swingin'

Music Video | USA | 1967
ArtistTom Petty & The Heartbreakers
SongSwingin'
DirectorMike Lipscombe
IntroNo
OutroNo
Sound MixStereo
Technical Specificationscolour - format unknown

Wiki

Synopsis

A young woman drifts through a rain-soaked, dreamlike world where ordinary places take on an ominous quality. As Tom Petty performs with the Heartbreakers in a roadside diner, the narrative shifts between the band's appearances and a dangerous nighttime encounter involving a troubled man, a hotel, and a sudden fall. Robin Tunney and Luke Wilson bring a tense, cinematic edge to the story, which plays less like a conventional performance clip than a compact tale of desperation, chance, and escape.

Factoids & Trivia

  • "Swingin'" was released in 1999 as the third single from the album "Echo."
  • Tom Petty said the song was largely created through improvisation during a studio session. He ad-libbed the vocal and lyrics while the Heartbreakers followed the changing arrangement, then recorded the song once more for the version used on the album.
  • The video was filmed over three days in and around Los Angeles. One of its most recognizable locations is Johnie's Coffee Shop on Wilshire Boulevard, a classic Googie-style diner that has also appeared in films and other music videos.
  • Robin Tunney and Luke Wilson appear in the narrative. Tunney was still several years away from her best-known television role as Teresa Lisbon in "The Mentalist."
  • The Heartbreakers make easy-to-miss appearances within the diner sequence. Howie Epstein is seen handling the sugar, Mike Campbell sits drinking coffee, Benmont Tench is at the counter, and Steve Ferrone appears outside using a pay phone.
  • The production's darker, surreal storytelling approach contrasts with the song's relaxed, rolling musical feel, giving the clip the atmosphere of a compact late-night film rather than a straightforward band performance.

Lyrics

© Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Swingin'. This is an excerpt, provided as citation under fair-use.
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