“I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings. Coming down is the hardest thing.”

-Tom Petty, American singer and songwriter, 1950-2017

These lyrics are from the song Learning to Fly by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, written by Tom Petty with Jeff Lynne in 1991. Various theories exist about the meaning behind the lyrics, but the words speak volumes about the human relationship with verticality.

‘I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings’
The first part deals with humanity’s incessant need to achieve flight throughout our history. We can’t do this on our own, of course, because we don’t have wings. We began by trying to imitate birds by giving ourselves wings (looking at you, Daedalus and Icarus), but these attempts were unsuccessful. Over time we learned about the physics of flight, and have since mastered the art with heavier-than-air machines.

'‘Coming down is the hardest thing’
The second part speaks to the high we get from escaping the surface, and the difficulty involved with coming back down. This has two meanings. First, it’s tough to come back down after being up in the air or at a high place. It’s like OK, back to reality, I guess. Second, there’s a constant danger when in flight, as a fall is always possible. Coming down and landing safely is a challenge, and it’s crucial to a successful flight of any kind.