"Walls (Circus)" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Tom Petty and recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in July 1996 as the first single from their soundtrack album Songs and Music from "She's the One". The song features Lindsey Buckingham on background vocals and was recorded at Sound City Studios by engineer Sylvia Massy. The song peaked at number 69 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. An alternate arrangement of the song, played at a faster tempo, was included on the soundtrack under the title "Walls (No. 3)". The song was later covered by Glen Campbell on his 2008 album Meet Glen Campbell and by the Lumineers on the first anniversary of Petty's death.

"Walls (Circus)"
Single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
from the album Songs and Music from "She's the One"
ReleasedJuly 29, 1996 (1996-07-29)
GenreRock[1]
Length4:25
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Tom Petty
Producer(s)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers singles chronology
"A Higher Place"
(1995)
"Walls (Circus)"
(1996)
"Change the Locks"
(1996)

Music video

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Maxine Bahns, Edward Burns and Jennifer Aniston appeared in the video. The music video was directed by Phil Joanou and was premiered in July 1996.[citation needed]

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (1996) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[2] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[3] 69
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[4] 1
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[5] 25
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[6] 6
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[7] 32

Year-end charts

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Chart (1996) Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 32
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[9] 41
US Triple-A (Billboard)[10] 14

"Walls (No. 3)"

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"Walls (No. 3)"
Song by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
ReleasedAugust 6, 1996
Length3:03
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Tom Petty
Producer(s)Rick Rubin, Tom Petty, Mike Campbell

Track 12 on the album is a faster, more mellow version titled "Walls (No. 3)". It has the same lyrics and melody, but the intro is different and the song in general has less emphasis on the instruments.

References

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  1. ^ Lewis, Randy (October 4, 2017). "Tom Petty's final interview: There was supposed to have been so much more". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 27, 2019. Classic-rock staples including 'Breakdown,' 'American Girl,' 'Refugee,' 'Even the Losers,' 'Learning to Fly,' 'Listen to Her Heart,' 'Here Comes My Girl,' 'Walls,' 'Mary Jane's Last Dance.'
  2. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9627." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  3. ^ "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  4. ^ "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  5. ^ "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  6. ^ "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  7. ^ "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  8. ^ "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved December 15, 2020 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  9. ^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Mainstream Rock Tracks". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 23.
  10. ^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Triple A Tracks". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 24.