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"Don't Come Around Here No More" is a song written by Tom Petty of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. It was released in February 1985 as the lead single from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Southern Accents album.
| "Don't Come Around Here No More" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | ||||
| from the album Southern Accents | ||||
| B-side | "Trailer" | |||
| Released | February 28, 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Don't Come Around Here No More" on YouTube | ||||
The original inspiration was a romantic encounter that producer David A. Stewart of Eurythmics had with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac.[4] On The Howard Stern Show, Stewart explained that the title's phrase was actually uttered by Nicks. She had broken up with Eagles singer and guitarist Joe Walsh the night before,[5] and invited Stewart to her place for a party after an early Eurythmics show in Los Angeles. Stewart did not know who she was at the time, but went anyway. When the partygoers all disappeared to a bathroom for a couple of hours to snort cocaine, he decided to go upstairs to bed. He woke up at 5 a.m. to find Nicks in the room trying on Victorian clothing and described the entire scenario as very much reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. Later that morning, when Walsh came by to find Nicks, Stewart heard Nicks throw Walsh out, saying "Don't come around here no more."
According to Jimmy Iovine, he went to Dave Stewart's house after a Eurythmics concert, and Dave showed him what he had of the song – not much besides the chorus and drum beat – and told him he was stuck, so Iovine suggested Tom Petty finish writing it.[6]
Producer Jimmy Iovine also suggested Nicks sing it. According to Nicks, the song was originally written for her album Rock a Little, but she declined it after Petty performed the vocals for her, feeling she could not do the song justice.[7] According to Iovine, Petty wanted to keep the song for himself since he was writing it.[6]
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"Don't Come Around Here No More" is widely regarded as one of Petty's best songs. In its contemporary review of the song, Cash Box said that it "features a surprisingly ethereal assortment of sounds including purely psychedelic guitars" and that "Petty’s gut-wrenching lead vocal...is the captivating soul of the song."[8] In 2017, Billboard ranked the song number six on their list of the 20 greatest Tom Petty songs,[9] and in 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the song number three on their list of the 50 greatest Tom Petty songs.[10]
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The music video is themed around the 1865 Lewis Carroll novel Alice in Wonderland, and it was directed by Jeff Stein. Stewart appears as the caterpillar at the beginning, sitting on a mushroom with a hookah water pipe while playing a sitar. Petty appears in the video dressed as The Mad Hatter, and actress/singer Louise Foley played Alice.[11] Alice eats a cake given to her by Stewart and tumbles into a black/white-patterned realm similar to the "Mad Tea Party" scene from Alice in Wonderland. She experiences a succession of bizarre events, culminating in her body being turned into a cake and eaten by the guests at the tea party. The video ends with Petty swallowing Alice whole, burping softly, and wiping his mouth with a napkin as the song abruptly stops, cutting off the last 29 seconds of the closing guitar solo as heard on the album version.
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The Heartbreakers
- Tom Petty – lead vocals, piano
- Mike Campbell – guitar, bass synthesizer
- Benmont Tench – string synthesizer
- Stan Lynch – drums, percussion
- Howie Epstein – bass guitar, vocals
Additional personnel
- David A. Stewart – electric sitar, synthesizer, vocals
- Dean Garcia – intro bass guitar
- Daniel Rothmuller – cello
- Marilyn Martin – backing vocals
- Stephanie Spruill – backing vocals
- Sharon Celani – backing vocals
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] | 61 |
| Canadian Top 100 Singles (RPM)[13] | 20 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] | 42 |
| U.S. Cash Box[15] | 13 |
| UK Singles Chart | 50 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[16] | 13 |
| US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard) | 2 |
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