For some reason, I do not remember Tom Petty’s song “Kings Highway” from when he and the Heartbreakers released it in 1991 on Into the Great Wide Open
Like John Mellencamp, Tom Petty is one of those artists who has been making music that I like for decades, but he sort of comes and goes in and out of my life. There are some artists where I buy every CD they make, but for most artists, it depends on the time and what I think of the latest music. I have never heard a Tom Petty album that I do not like, and I own several of his albums. But I have never felt compelled to own everything he has done, and because of that, I suppose, I have missed some great songs like “Kings Highway.”
I have tried to figure out geographically which Kings Highway appears in the song. There appears to be highways with that name all around the world, and there is even a Facebook page devoted to all of them. Is he referring to the ancient King’s Highway from Egypt to Syria? There is a King’s Highway in Jordan, which reminded one blogger of the Petty song. Maybe he is referring to the 1927 British film, King’s Highway.
Or, more likely is it one of the King’s Highways in the U.S., like the one from Charleston to Boston, or the one in New York state, or the one following the Mississippi River in the South, or one in Pennsylvania or Texas, or one of two in Virginia. Or, most likely, considering he lived in California at the time, it may be the 600-mile El Camino Real in California, which is also called the “King’s Highway.” Perhaps the California connection is why on a recent tour he and the Heartbreakers opened their 2010 Oakland performance with “Kings Highway” (but he’s also used it as an opener elsewhere, like Colorado).
Maybe the apostrophe is a clue. His song is “Kings Highway,” without an apostrophe, while some of the highway names are “King’s Highway.” Several do not have the apostrophe, but the California road does. So, I am back to being puzzled about finding the real Kings Highway. Maybe there is an interview somewhere where he reveals the location.
The song, however, may be less about an actual highway than about a state of mind. In the song, the singer dreams of heading out on the highway with his lover “when the time gets right.” In that sense, it is a classic open road song, like Springsteen’s “Thunder Road,” where the highway provides a hope of escape, freedom, and a new life. While Springsteen’s songs in this vein often have a dark undertone, Petty’s “Kings Highway” has a happier tone that focuses on the new life more than the escape part of the open road.
Still, “Kings Highway” is not an entirely uplifting song. The singer fears being alone, and doesn’t “wanna end up someone that I don’t even know.” And, unlike other songs of escape, there is no actual escape to the open road of the song, as it ends with the singer still waiting for the day “Good fortune comes our way / And we ride down the Kings Highway.” I suspect the characters in the song are still waiting. Perhaps, like me, they are still looking for the location of Kings Highway.
May good fortune come your way and you find your own Kings Highway.
Where do you find Kings Highway? Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)
“Into the Great Wide Open” was the first Petty album I listened to. My dad had it on a cassette tape and would listen to it in the car.
I’m like you with Tom Petty. I only had Full Moon Fever on tape in college but I played it alot. But there’s a lot to like in the catalog. One thing really turned me off though. I saw an interview with him about ticket prices and fees. His perspective is that they work hard to put on a good show and that’s why it’s expensive–so if you don’t like it, or you can’t afford it, don’t come out to the show and let the real fans come. That was really a turn off.
I’d be interested in hearing the interview to get the context. Petty is notorious for standing up to the record company to keep album prices reasonable (back in 1981 when record sales were a much bigger part of musician income). In several places he is quoted as saying back then, “Look, I don’t need the extra dollar. I’m doing fine. But it makes a big deal to the people buying the music.” On the other hand, ticket sales are how musicians make money these days, and I don’t think his are out of line with comparable acts, so I can’t hold ticket prices against him. I was impressed with one of his recent tours where he included his new CD (Mojo) with each ticket purchased.
Hey – great post and thanks for the link! This is one of my personal favorite Petty songs too.
No problem. I enjoyed your post too about the excellent song.
I’ve got an alternate theory here. Had pretty much forgotten all about this song too, till a cover version was featured in the Pixar movie Cars 3, which my son is currently obsessed with. In the scene where the song is featured the main character Lightning McQueen is travelling on a HWY near the beach on his way to a training facility on the East Coast of FL. Had me curious, so I looked it up, and there is in fact Kings HWY in Ft. Pierce, FL. Prior to the completion of I-95 in Florida in the early 1980s, Kings HWY was commonly used to “bridge the gap” between Florida’s Turnpike (SR 91) and the Interstate highway US-1. It was also a very popular trucking route because it connected SR 70 to US1, allowing motorists to travel from the West Coast of Fl to the East . As we all know, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are from Gainesville, FL. And in their early years from 74-78, before I-95 was completed, I can imagine they were playing shows all over the state, travelling cross state and up and down the coast. If the band was travelling south from Gainesville to play shows in the Tampa Bay area and then wanted to cross over to play shows on the N east cost (daytona beach), or head south to Palm Beach County, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, the quickest possible route would be SR 70 > King’s Hwy > US-1. Even though the album was released in 91, to me, many of the songs harken back to the bands beginnings. The song “Into the Great Wide Open” is about a guy who starts a band and hits the road. Could Kings Hwy be a tribute to their early days playing gigs all over Florida? Don’t know for sure, but it seems like a plausible scenario. Love that I’m commenting on this 10 years after the post. Hope you are still out there creating content! This was the only blog post I could find about this song!
That’s an interesting theory and certainly makes sense. The Florida road you mention is also another instance of one named “Kings Highway” without an apostrophe, just like the song. That’s a good point about the album too, and I’ll have to think about it some more. I’ve never seen where Petty has talked about the meaning of the song, and unfortunately he is no longer around. Yes, still creating content and glad the post was still of interest so long after it was written! Take care.
Thank you! From Orlando and was in college in late ‘60’s. I wish I could have been TP instead of a MLB player for 10 yrs.
RIP Bro Tom.
Greg Pryor.
Well, it must have been pretty cool to be an important part of one of the greatest baseball teams of the 1980s too (as well as your many other accomplishments). Hope you are well and thanks for the comment.
First off love your writing and take on this song and Tom Petty’s music. Being in Florida myself since I was kid in the 70’s I always just assumed the song was about the Kings Road in Florida too. Maybe because of his reference to state road 441 {the Orange Blossom Trail) in An American Girl. After reading your article would have to agree that he is more than likely referring to the Kings Highway in California.
Thank you for the comment. One thing great about music is that we can find our own meaning in songs, such as imagining that a song is about where we live. So, Petty did not need to be more specific in the song, allowing us to find our own Kings Highway.
Tom Petty’s song “Kings Road” is on the Hard Promises LP/CD. Since the song “King’s Highway” was released on a different LP/CD, I don’t think the Florida’s Kings Road has anything to do with it. Tom Petty would likely know the difference since he sang and wrote both songs.
Good point about the fact that he has another song with a similar title, “Kings Road” (again no apostrophe). Take care.
Good job!! Kings road was built here by the British when they took over briefly from the Spanish. Its also sometimes called old kings road ( another Tom Petty song) …It ran from the Fla/Ga border south. Most parts of it are gone now but old pieces are still around. We have a new kings road too in Jacksonville…The song old kings road kinda sums up what you’ll find down that one as well 😆😆…
My theory is that Kings Highway is refers to highway 51 in Memphis, Tennessee, better know as Elvis Presley boulevard. Tom wants to take his sweetheart to visit Graceland…”under a big ol’ sky, out in a field of green.” “I don’t wanna end up in a room all alone, Don’t wanna end up someone that I don’t even know” …how Elvis spent his later years and ultimately how he died. It’s just a theory.
That’s a very interesting theory that I hadn’t heard before. Interestingly, one time while playing in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Presley’s birthplace, Tom Petty mantioned Elvis while introducing “Kings Highway.” So perhaps he did see a connection between the song and Elvis. He said, “Elvis Presley is what this country is all about,” noting that the band had visited Elvis’s birthplace. (https://www.thepettyarchives.com/archives/miscellany/newsletters/1995-fall). Thanks for the comment.