Meaning of “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Don’t Come Around Here No More is a song performed by the American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The song was inspired by a brief romantic affair between the song’s co-writer English musician and music producer David A. Stewart of the British music duo Eurythmics and the noted American singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame.
A day after Nicks ended her relationship with guitarist Joe Walsh of the Eagles, she hosted a party at her Los Angeles home. Stewart was one of the guests she invited to the party. According to Stewart, as of that time, he didn’t know who Nicks was but attended the party all the same. And by the end of the party, he and Nicks had had a romantic encounter. Later the following morning, Nicks’ former boyfriend Walsh came to her house. Stewart, who was at that time still inside Nicks’ house, heard her kick him out of the house and tell him to never come to her place again. In an interview with the popular American talk show host Howard Stern on his radio show The Howard Stern Show, Stewart said the song’s title “Don’t Come Around Here No More” were the exact words Nicks told Walsh as she kicked him out of her house.
Facts about “Don’t Come Around Here No More”
- The song was written by David A. Stewart and Tom Petty the lead singer and guitar player of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The pair produced the song along with American record producer Jimmy Iovine, who is best known for being one of the founders of Interscope Records.
- Singer Marilyn Martin, who is best known for her duet with Phil Collins on the hit song Separate Lives, sang backing vocals on the song.
- Don’t Come Around Here No More was released on 28th February, 1985 as the first single from the band’s sixth album titled Southern Accents.
- The music video of the song was inspired by the 1865 fantasy novel Alice in Wonderland.
- The song peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 50 on the UK Singles Chart.
You mixed up a central part of the story. Stevie Nicks did NOT say “don’t come around here no more” to Dave Stewart…she said it to her ex-boyfriend, Joe Walsh. Joe was pounding on it, and she was telling him to leave through the door. Dave was still inside and heard that, which inspired him to write the song. Stevie had been trying on old Victorian clothes, which reminded Dave Stewart of Alice in Wonderland. Stewart took the song to producer Jimmy Iovine for Stevie to record, but Jimmy (Stevie’s old boyfriend also) gave it to Tom Petty instead.
Thank you a thousand times for bringing that to our attention, Gary. The necessary corrections have been made. Thanks!
That is what this article was saying the same thing you typed. So how it is a correction on your part?
I am grateful to you for taking the time to share the meaning and facts for Tom Pettys song Don’t Come Around Here No More. The real facts pertaining to the song are so much more interesting than any notions that I had imagined while listening many times throughout the years.
Interesting, considering Stevie Nicks has gone on record saying Joe Walsh was the greatest love of her life but the drug use between them was way out of control. Apparently, Joe Walsh didn’t share the same sentiment about Stevie. During a Howard Stern interview about his former lover (Stevie), Walsh shrugged it off as “a good on the road f@$k.” It would appear Walsh viewed Stevie more as “a glorified groupie.”
I read that it was Don Henley that was the love of her life, though Joe was who she dated.
Stevie Nicks sure was a sk-nk. Sounds like she slept with almost every guy in the music industry. A real “c-m dumpster.”
@quagmire Vomit. Stevie Nicks can sleep with whoever she wants whenever she wants. Your comments are vile and sexist!
What do you call all the male rock stars who slept around with hundreds of women?? Whore masters?? I suppose you don’t give one thought to that. What a hypocrite!!
Sounds like quagmire is jealous he can’t even get a “sk-unk.” LOL
Astonishing, how a great song can mean something unique to each listener. When I was about 12, my very cute older sister and older teenage boy cousin were foraging for wild garlic in a field outside of Macon, Georgia. We had climbed over a collapsed fence to get to a cluster of shoots, and were digging away with pocket knives when we heard, “HEY! What are you looking for? This ain’t your land!” And there he was, old Bob Ewing from TKAM to the life, with a claw cultivator pole in his hand. “Get outta here now. DON’T COME AROUND HERE NO MORE.” He winked at my sister and showed his ruined teeth. We skeddadled like scared rodents. And I wet myself. 🙂 That was 55 years ago.
Never knew the backstory to this song before now. To me, it will always be a coming of age memory, with a southern accent.
Watching the video, you see Alice take drugs (shrooms), and the resulting hallucinations tell her not to ‘come around here no more.’ Seems like a bad trip, and a lesson not to do drugs.
Agree with the message towards drug pushers to “don’t come around here no more”. I know the writers had no idea about the impacts of fentanyl but about 3 yrs ago listening to this tune the lyrics resonated that message. The strength of good lyrics stand the test of time and allow self association. Rather it be all about sex but rock roll and drugs are real too! All good here, Cheers
I wish Tom had thought about this…he might still be with us if he had…RIP Tom thanks to you and the Heartbreakers for all the amazing music