Some days are diamonds; some days are rocks.
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Those are the opening lines of “Walls (Circus),” a song about the fortresses we build around our own hearts. Written on the brink of Tom Petty‘s divorce from Jane Benyo, his wife of 22 years, “Walls (Circus)” explores pain, uncertainty, endurance, and vulnerability over the course of four and a half minutes.
Only Petty could kickstart a song with such a simple, compelling lyric. Diamonds often look like ordinary rocks until you bust them open, revealing the shimmer beneath the surface. Days are the same way. Each one offers a fresh start, a new beginning, another chance to crack the morning open and see what’s inside. You never know what you’re going to get, and that’s the gamble of everyday life. It’s beautiful one minute and bittersweet the next.
Some people prefer to play things safe, though. They don’t want to take that gamble, especially when their own sense of self-worth is on the line. For protection, they build barricades around themselves, preventing anyone else from getting inside. That sort of solitude can be a lonely place, but it’s safe, too. No one gets inside to hurt you. Of course, no one can get inside to love you, either. In “Walls (Circus),” Petty encourages his listeners to remain open and resilient, despite the temptation to hide away from the uncertainties of the outside world.
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During a live performance on VH1 Storytellers, Petty briefly talked about the song’s creation, explaining, “One time, this guy comes to me and asks me to write some music for his film…and I wrote this song for him and I liked it so much [that] I wanted to take it back, but he wouldn’t let me take it back.” That’s one of the only times he talked about “Walls (Circus),” a song that the Heartbreakers played during three tours—the Echo tour in 1999, the Fillmore residency of that same year, and the 40th Anniversary Tour of 2017—and rarely anywhere else.
We’ll never know if the song is meant to be an autobiographical pep talk—as in, a song that’s delivered from Petty to Petty, with the songwriter encouraging himself to remain emotionally optimistic even in the face of divorce—or if he had another recipient in mind. All we know is that a heartbroken Petty wrote it for the 1996 rom-com She’s the One (at the request of its writer, director, and star Edward Burns) and released it on Songs and Music from “She’s the One,” an album that doubled as the Heartbreakers’ ninth studio record and the movie’s soundtrack. And maybe that’s enough context.
Do we really need definitive answers, after all? The song’s message of emotional openness is a universal one, and the lyrics leave little to the imagination. That sort of straightforward, uncluttered songwriting was Petty’s bread and butter, and “Walls (Circus)” finds him continuing to hit his mark. The verses feature a number of contrasting images—an open door and a blocked road, a golden sundown and a darkened sky, a smile of happiness and a cry of sadness—while the choruses remind the listener that a full heart can crush any obstacle in its way. “Even walls fall down,” Petty sings during the refrain’s mic-drop moment, his voice backed by a chorus of harmony singers, including Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham. Petty’s point is clear: life is unpredictable, barriers are temporary, and love is forever.
The Heartbreakers recorded two versions of “Walls” for Songs and Music from “She’s the One.” The second, “Walls (Circus),” appears during the album’s second half, featuring a condensed running time, a leaner arrangement, and a harmonica solo. Both interpretations feature the same lyrics, including the final verse where Petty sings, “Some things are over; some things go on.” Sung by an artist who died far too soon, these words feel prophetic. It turns out that love isn’t the only thing that remains. Songs stick around long after their creators are gone, too, and “Walls (Circus)” continues to loom large during Petty’s absence.
Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images
