Don’t Come Around Here No More

The Zoo Crew is spinning the trippy vibes of Don’t Come Around Here No More by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, a standout track from their 1985 album Southern Accents. This song, co-written by Tom Petty and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, was inspired by a wild encounter Stewart had with Stevie Nicks. As Stewart shared on The Howard Stern Show, Nicks, fresh off a breakup with Joe Walsh, invited him to a party after an early Eurythmics gig in Los Angeles. When Stewart woke up at 5 a.m. to find Nicks trying on Victorian clothing, she reportedly told Walsh, “Don’t come around here no more,” sparking the song’s title. Originally intended for Nicks’ album Rock a Little, she passed on it after hearing Petty’s vocal take, feeling she couldn’t match its intensity. Producer Jimmy Iovine played matchmaker, suggesting Petty finish the track after Stewart hit a creative wall with just a drum beat and chorus.

The song’s psychedelic edge, complete with Stewart’s electric sitar and a horn section, marked a bold departure from the Heartbreakers’ usual heartland rock sound. Fans on Reddit have noted how Southern Accents stands out for its experimental vibe, with tracks like this one pushing boundaries. The iconic music video, directed by Jeff Stein, leans into an Alice in Wonderland theme, casting Petty as the Mad Hatter and actress Louise Foley as Alice. Stewart appears as a caterpillar munching a mushroom, a nod to the era’s counterculture that slipped past MTV censors. However, the video’s cake-eating scene, where Alice’s body is sliced and consumed, stirred controversy, with some claiming it prompted Tipper Gore to launch the Parents Music Resource Center. Stein defended it as playful fantasy, telling Yahoo Entertainment it was all in good fun, though MTV edited the gory strawberry jam-filled cuts.

Tom Petty, born October 20, 1950, in Gainesville, Florida, kicked off his musical journey after a chance encounter with Elvis Presley in 1961, when the King was filming Follow That Dream in Florida. A young Petty was starstruck, and his passion for rock was cemented. By his teens, he was playing in local bands like the Epics, which evolved into Mudcrutch. In 1974, Petty and his bandmates, including guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench, drove cross-country to Los Angeles seeking a record deal. Their demo caught the ear of Shelter Records, and by 1976, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers were born. Their self-titled debut, with tracks like Breakdown and American Girl, initially flopped in the U.S. but gained traction in the UK, paving the way for their breakthrough with 1979’s Damn the Torpedoes, which went platinum.

Zoo Freaks can stay connected with Petty’s legacy through the band’s official channels. The official website offers music, merch, and news, while their Facebook and Instagram pages share throwbacks and updates. On X, fans can find posts celebrating milestones like the 40th anniversary of Southern Accents. For deeper dives, check out fan communities like the Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Fan Club on Facebook, where devotees share memories and rare clips. Tribute bands like Southern Accents keep the spirit alive, recreating the Heartbreakers’ magic for fans craving that live energy.