Kevin Bacon's Tom Petty and Jimmy Fallon perform, rewrite the history of 'Free Fallin''

(Image credit: The Tonight Show)

published 30 August 2016

This is one of those Tonight Show sketches where you wish they'd also release video of the pitch meeting where this idea was hatched and hammered out. On Monday's show, Kevin Bacon showed that his acting and singing skills extend to a very solid Tom Petty impersonation and Jimmy Fallon joined him dressed as Mike Campbell, Petty's long-time collaborator and guitarist. The song is the 1989 Petty hit "Free Fallin'," but since this is one of Fallon's VH1-style "First Drafts of Rock" passion projects, you won't recognize most of the lyrics. Watch below, and pay special attention to Fallon's growing frustration as Bacon's Petty just ignores the band's buildup to the chorus. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.