Chords + Lyrics | Free Fallin’ (capo 1)
Intro
||: E Asus2 | Asus2 E B5 :||
Verse 1
||: E Asus2 | Asus2 E B5 :||
She’s a good girl, loves her mama.
Loves Jesus, and America too.
She’s a good girl, is crazy about Elvis.
Loves horses, and her boyfriend too.
Instrumental 1
| E Asus2 | Asus2 E B5 |
Verse 2
And it’s a long day, livin’ in Reseda.
There’s a freeway, runnin’ through the yard.
And I’m a bad boy, ’cause I don’t even miss her.
I’m a bad boy, for breakin’ her heart.
Chorus 1
||: E Asus2 | Asus2 E B5 :||
And I’m free.
Free fallin’.
Yeah I’m free.
Free fallin’.
Verse 3
And all the vampires, walkin’ through the valley.
Move west down, Ventura Boulevard.
And all the bad boys, are standin’ in the shadows.
And the good girls, are home with broken hearts.
Chorus 2
And I’m free.
I’m free fallin’.
Yeah I’m free.
Free fallin’.
Instrumental 2
| E Asus2 | Asus2 E B5 |
Bridge 1
||: E Asus2 | Asus2 E B5 :||
Free fallin, now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m.
Free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m.
Verse 4
I wanna glide down (oh-ah), over Mulholland.
I wanna write her (oh-ah), name in the sky.
I’m gonna free fall (oh-ah), out into nothin’.
Gonna leave this (oh-ah), world for a while.
Chorus 3
And I’m free (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Free fallin’ (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Yeah, I’m free (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Free fallin’ (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Breakdown
||: E5 A5 | A5 E5 B5 :||
Free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m.
Outro (as chorus)
Yeah, I’m free.
Free fallin’.
Oh! (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Free fallin’ (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
And I’m free (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Oh! Free fallin’ (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
(Free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m.)
Free fallin’ (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Free Fallin’ | Chords + Lyrics (2nd guitar, capo 3)
Intro
||: D G5 | G5 D Asus4 :||
Verse 1
||: D G5 | G5 D Asus4 :||
She’s a good girl, loves her mama.
Loves Jesus, and America too.
She’s a good girl, is crazy about Elvis.
Loves horses, and her boyfriend too.
Instrumental 1
| D G5 | G5 D Asus4 |
Verse 2
And it’s a long day, livin’ in Reseda.
There’s a freeway, runnin’ through the yard.
And I’m a bad boy, ’cause I don’t even miss her.
I’m a bad boy, for breakin’ her heart.
Chorus 1
||: D G5 | G5 D Asus4 :||
And I’m free.
Free fallin’.
Yeah I’m free.
Free fallin’.
Verse 3
And all the vampires, walkin’ through the valley.
Move west down, Ventura Boulevard.
And all the bad boys, are standin’ in the shadows.
And the good girls, are home with broken hearts.
Chorus 2
And I’m free.
I’m free fallin’.
Yeah I’m free.
Free fallin’.
Instrumental 2
| D G5 | G5 D Asus4 |
Bridge 1
||: D G5 | G5 D Asus4 :||
Free fallin, now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m.
Free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m.
Verse 4
I wanna glide down (oh-ah), over Mulholland.
I wanna write her (oh-ah), name in the sky.
I’m gonna free fall (oh-ah), out into nothin’.
Gonna leave this (oh-ah), world for a while.
Chorus 3
And I’m free (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Free fallin’ (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Yeah, I’m free (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Free fallin’ (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Breakdown
||: D5 G5 | G5 D5 A5 :||
Free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m.
Outro (as chorus)
Yeah, I’m free.
Free fallin’.
Oh! (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Free fallin’ (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
And I’m free (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Oh! Free fallin’ (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
(Free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m.)
Free fallin’ (free fallin’ now I’m, free fallin’ now I’m).
Free Fallin’ Chords: A Breakdown of Tom Petty’s Iconic Guitar Layers
For the chords to sound right, Tom Petty’s smash hit Free Fallin’ needs two guitars.
Guitar 1 (key of E)
The first guitar uses a capo on fret 1, playing these diatonic chords in the key of E:
||: E (I) Asus2 (IV) | Asus2 E B5 (V) :||
Guitar 2 (key of D)
The second guitar uses a capo on fret 3, playing these chords in the key of D:
||: D (I) G5 (IV) | G5 D Asus4 (V) :||
The capo changes the chord shapes, making the two guitars sound fuller. However, Tom and Mike don’t just play the same chords with different shapes—they also use different extensions.
To get this right, you’ll need TAB. Here’s a link to that part of the lesson: Free Fallin’ – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you’ve mastered both guitar parts, all you’ll need is a simple chord chart—here’s one I made for you.
Free Fallin’ Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
When designing the chord chart for Free Fallin’, I wanted to include both guitar parts since the chords are so simple. Normally, I would create a separate chart for guitar 2, but in this case, it made sense to keep them together.
The only variation in the chords comes during the breakdown, where everything is played as power chords (5 chords). Because of this, I wrote out both guitar parts and simply indicated the arrangement flow.
If you’d like to download the chart, here’s a PDF: Free Fallin’ chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro—here’s a link to that file: Free Fallin’ chord chart iReal Pro.
With the iRealPro app, you can change the key, but keep in mind that if you do, it won’t sound like Free Fallin’ anymore. The magic is in the chord shapes!
Free Fallin’ TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we explore how the two guitar parts work together throughout Free Fallin’.
Below is a preview showing a section where each chord is strummed just once. Try playing along with the original recording—see if you can pick out each part as you go.
The opening track of Tom Petty’s solo debut
After more than a decade with the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty released his first solo album, Full Moon Fever, in 1989.
With three standout tracks—I Won’t Back Down, Runnin’ Down a Dream, and Free Fallin’—it became an instant classic. Free Fallin’ reached #1 in the U.S. and the top five in three other countries, while the album sold five million copies in the U.S. alone.
This success may have been a wake-up call for the old band members, who quickly reunited to release Into the Great Wide Open a couple of years later. The late ’80s and early ’90s became Tom Petty’s golden era.
Between 1989 and 1993, he released not only Free Fallin’, I Won’t Back Down, and Into The Great Wide Open, but also Mary Jane’s Last Dance, End Of The Line, Learning To Fly, and one of my favourites, Makin’ Some Noise.
These songs cemented Tom Petty’s status as one of the most respected artists and songwriters of all time. Then, just a few years later, he knocked it out of the park again with Wildflowers, further solidifying his place in music history.
Free Fallin’ Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Free Fallin’ (Tom Petty) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
