‘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. The song 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." In 2017, Billboard ranked the song number six on their list of the 20 greatest Tom Petty songs, and in 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the song number three on their list of the 50 greatest Tom Petty songs.
The original inspiration was a romantic encounter that producer David A. Stewart of Eurythmics had with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. 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, 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 his 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. 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. According to Iovine, Petty wanted to keep the song for himself since he was writing it.
The music video is themed around the 1865 Lewis Carroll novel Alice in Wonderland, and 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. 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.
Label – MCA
Songwriters – Tom Petty, David A. Stewart
Producers – Tom Petty, David A. Stewart, Jimmy Iovine
SONG LYRICS
[Intro]Hey!
Hey!
[Chorus]
Don't come around here no more
Don't come around here no more
Whatever you're looking for
Hey! Don't come around here no more
I've given up, stop
I've given up, stop
Ah, ah, ah, ooh-ooh
I've given up, stop, on waiting any longer
I've given up, on this love getting stronger
[Post-Chorus]
Don't come around here no more
Don't come around here no more
Don't come around here no more
Don't come around here no more
[Chorus]
I don't feel you anymore
You darken my door
Whatever you're looking for
Hey! Don't come around here no more
I've given up, stop
I've given up, stop
Ah, ah, ah, ooh-ooh
I've given up, stop, you tangle my emotions
I've given up, honey please, admit it's over
[Post-Chorus]
Hey! Don't come around here no more
Don't come around here no more
Don't come around here no more
Hey! Don't come around here no more
[Bridge]
Stop walking down my street
Don't come around here no more
Who did you expect to meet?
Don't come around here no more
Whatever you're looking for
Hey! Don't come around here no more
Hey!
[Outro]
Honey please (Honey please)
Don't come around here no more
Whatever you're looking for
Don't come around here no more