Petty was supported by his band, The Heartbreakers, for the majority of his career. He has occasionally released solo work, as was the case with his 2006 album Highway Companion on which he performed most of the backing instrumentation himself. However, members of The Heartbreakers have played on each of his solo albums and the band has always backed him when touring in support of those albums.
After the Petty's previous band Mudcrutch disbanded, Petty, never one to give up, enlisted Mudcrutch members Tench (keyboards) and Mike Campbell (guitar), along with Gainesville musicians Ron Blair (bass) and Stan Lynch (drums) to form the now famous lineup that was dubbed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They released their first album, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in November 1976. In 2006, the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of that release.
This lineup stayed intact for four records and was responsible for some of the most infectious songs ("American Girl", "Breakdown", "Listen To Her Heart", "Refugee", "I Need To Know", "Don't Do Me Like That") and one of the most critically acclaimed albums ("Damn the Torpedoes") of all time. Their tremendous success catapulted them from club band to arena rockers seemingly overnight.
Bassist Blair split the band in 1982 and was replaced by Howie Epstein, a protege of seminal rocker Del Shannon. Epstein's solid playing and soaring backing vocals further complemented the band's live attack. Without missing a beat, they headed back into the studio to record a string of successful albums, including the classic "Long After Dark". In 1994, Stan Lynch left the Heartbreakers to pursue other musical challenges and Steve Ferrone (well regarded for his work with the Average White Band and Eric Clapton) soon became the Heartbreakers' chosen drummer.
Most recently, at a time when many of their contemporaries have long since grown complacent, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have in 2002 released one of their finest and most controversial efforts - featuring some of Petty's most moving songs. Recorded both before and following the group's 2002 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, "The Last DJ", reflected Petty's strong views about the state of the music business and the culture generally. With the departure of Howie Epstein, "The Last DJ" marked another notable return: after two decades away, founding Heartbreaker Ron Blair returned to the band's rhythm section. In 2010, The Heartbreakers released the well received album "Mojo".
Petty died on 2 October 2017 following a cardiac episode earlier that day at his home in Malibu, California. Although some media outlets incorrectly reported his death following an erroneous police report, his death was confirmed later that day by his publicist and manager.
Don't Come Around Here No More
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
I've given up, on this love getting stronger
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
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
I've given up, (stop) you tangle my emotions
I've given up, honey please admit it's over
Hey, 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
Stop walking down my street
Don't come around here no more
Who you expect to meet?
Don't come around here no more
And whatever you're looking for
Hey don't come around here no more
Hey
Honey please (honey please) don't come around here no more
Whatever you're looking for
Don't come around here no more
In Tom Petty’s song “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” the singer is telling someone not to come back and look for whatever they’re searching for, as they are no longer welcome. It’s clear that the singer has given up on waiting for this person, for their love to get stronger, and has stopped feeling any sort of emotion towards them. The person in question has caused some sort of darkness to enter the singer’s life and they are being asked to leave and not come back.
One of the interesting things about this song is that it was written by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics along with Tom Petty. Apparently, Stewart had the main riff, and Petty came up with the melody and the lyrics. The song was released in 1985 on the album “Southern Accents,” and was produced by Dave Stewart. It was a hit for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, reaching number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The music video for “Don’t Come Around Here No More” was also quite memorable. It featured Alice in Wonderland-themed imagery, with Petty as the Mad Hatter and his love interest dressed as Alice. They are attending a wild tea party with other costumed characters, and Alice is eventually eaten by a cake. The video, directed by Jeff Stein, won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, hey
The singer acknowledges the other person's presence.
Don't come around here no more
The singer wants the other person to stay away.
Don't come around here no more
The singer repeats their request for the other person to stay away.
Whatever you're looking for
The artist is unsure of the other person's motivations.
Hey, don't come around here no more
The artist reinforces their request for the other person to stay away.
I've given up, stop
The singer has lost hope and asks the other person to stop pursuing them.
I've given up, stop
The singer repeats their message of giving up and wanting the other person to stop.
I've given up, stop, on waiting any longer
The artist has stopped waiting for the other person to change and improve their attitude.
I've given up, on this love getting stronger
The artist has lost all hope of this relationship improving or growing stronger.
Don't come around here no more
The artist continues to reiterate their request for the other person to stay away.
Don't come around here no more
The singer repeats their plea for the other person to stay away.
Don't come around here no more
The artist repeats their demand for the other person to stay away.
I don't feel you anymore
The singer has lost their emotional connection to the other person.
You darken my door
The singer feels burdened and oppressed by the other person's presence.
Whatever you're looking for
The singer still doesn't understand what the other person wants or why they keep coming around.
Hey, don't come around here no more
The artist reiterates their demand for the other person to stay away.
I've given up, stop
The artist continues to emphasize that they have given up and want the other person to stop pursuing them.
I've given up, stop
The singer emphasizes once again that they have given up and want the other person to stop pursuing them.
I've given up, (stop) you tangle my emotions
The singer feels emotionally overwhelmed and implores the other person to leave them alone.
I've given up, honey please admit it's over
The artist begs the other person to accept that the relationship is over and move on.
Hey, don't come around here no more
The artist repeats their demand for the other person to stay away.
Don't come around here no more
The artist again insists that the other person stay away.
Don't come around here no more
The singer again insists that the other person stay away.
Don't come around here no more
The artist again insists that the other person stay away.
Stop walking down my street
The singer doesn't want the other person to be physically present near them.
Don't come around here no more
The singer again insists that the other person stay away.
Who you expect to meet?
The singer questions the other person's expectations by being near them.
Don't come around here no more
The artist repeats their demand for the other person to stay away.
And whatever you're looking for
The artist still doesn't understand the other person's motivations.
Hey don't come around here no more
The singer repeats their demand for the other person to stay away.
Hey
The singer's last word before the song ends.
Honey please (honey please) don't come around here no more
The artist repeatedly begs the other person to stay away and not come near them again.
Whatever you're looking for
The artist still doesn't understand the other person's motivations and desires.
Don't come around here no more
The artist's final plea for the other person to stay away and never come back.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TOM PETTY, DAVE STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rosemarywaldron497
@@johnrogers9481
If you read that person's words with ❤️...you'll find their true "intent." And not just come from a place of harshly judging their words. 🤍
To me, they were trying to convey that they are sad that we ALL will never get to hear a BRAND NEW SONG by TP; one that he could have written now because, he was still here on earth 😓physically with us still. 💖
I do absolutely understand, your point, that because, Tommy was such a prolific songwriter, and had a "vault" as it's often referred to, of tons of songs, that had either never been recorded on an album, or were "alternate" versions of some of his songs that were on TPHB & TP albums, or some that were just "informal demos," that we, in a sense, DO STILL get to hear a NEW song that we've not heard before!
Thank God🙏 & Thank you TP for leaving such a generous, priceless gift 💝 of yourself behind for us to treasure!
🎩💔🎸🎶
@MrBraddyman
I had the privilege of meeting this man when I was a child…. Maybe 12 years old.
I met Bob, Bruce Spingteen… my dad and uncle had restaurants that were popular when they came through and would invite them… the whole crew! Now they were still getting messed up together, the crew.
By the time the concert was over, we had already closed….
I don’t know how, but they were able to talk several bands in to coming…
Shit, I got pictures of Bob Seger, ZZ TOP… holding me for a photo shoot.
Picture early 80’s….
I got to meet all of them and their crew.
I’ll never forget Bob Seger. He was so humble.
They didn’t stay long and they didn’t want to talk because they were saving their voices.
I had an interesting life in Birmingham Alabama in the early 80’s.
I got snuck into the prince concert, never met him, but I watched him so closely that I could smell his bad ass.
I’ll never forget this man. Very humble guy!!!
@Jabberwok28
Tom Petty embraced the possibilities of the music video in ways not many rock artists would. He was a legend.
@thursoberwick1948
The symbols are borrowed.
@alexello1189
Idk this video seems right up David Lee Roth’s alley, “gimme a bottle of anything and a glazed donut to go”
@josepheddy5187
1:04
@aWomanFreed
What do u mean? Alice in wonderland is commonplace and Freemasonic imagery is in like every video ever. Not to mention the cannibalism
@joshualiddell9145
Alice in wonderland was written about one of my ancestors Alice Liddell. I am Joshua Liddell 😊
@MsMerryland
I was 32 years old when this song was released. I'm 70 now and this is still one of my all time favorite videos. It's a masterpiece.
@petrusinvictus3603
I am 56 and the VIDEO is pure golg. Best one, of cource: Kate Bush, Running up that hill and more
@stevew6910
I was young when this video came out, I thought it was creepy
@Jiizzstain
Clockwork orange ass video