Music Review: Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"

Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty

Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around

Album: Bella Donna

Year: 1981

          Stevie Nicks attempts to disentangle herself from her ex-boyfriend in the  stormy      “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.”

          A robust guitar opens the single, setting a browbeat tone. Her dog barks, looks at her for a second and then runs to the front room door. She cups her hand over the telephone and tells him that it’s ok and a good boy. Over his barking, she hears her doorbell, chiming several times. She tells her friend she has to go and checks to see who is at her door. Although, she has good idea of whom it might be. She takes a peek and sees that it’s her ex-boyfriend. She knows she really should walk away and call her friend back instead. However, watching him shuffling at his feet with his hands in his jean pockets get to her. He tells her the usual: he misses her and wants to be her with again. She lets him in after some reservation. She wishes she would’ve listened to her intuition to stay away from him. But it’s too late. She cares about him now. (“ Baby you'll come knocking on /My front door/Same old line you used to use before/I said ya...well/What am I supposed to do/I didn't know what I was getting into.”)

          In the chorus, she notices a purple bruise near his eye and the stench of alcohol on his breath. She tells him he can crash at her house for a couple days. However, he can’t continue to lead her on. Their relationship is over. Tom Petty joins in during the chorus, echoing her words back to her. She’s right about him in some ways. However, once she opened the door, she was keeping him in her life. (“So you've had a little trouble in town /Now you're keeping some demon down/Stop draggin' my/Stop draggin' my/Stop draggin' my heart around.”)

          She tells him his regrets and bitterness is controlling him. His friends no longer speak to him. He’s been out of work for awhile. However, it’s something he needs to talk to about. His gets up and slams the bathroom door as he walks inside. Ten minutes later, he tears into the room and shouts at her, calling her every awful name he knows. Calmly, she tells him he welcome to ignore her. (“It's hard to think about /What you've wanted /It's hard to think about what you've lost/This doesn't have to be the big get even/This doesn't have to be anything at all.”)

           In the pre-chorus, Petty apologizes for what he’s said. He tells her didn’t mean it. He says he’ll find someplace else to go tonight. She doesn’t need his baggage holding her down. (“I know you really want to/Tell me good-bye/I know you really want to/Be your own girl.”)

          In the second chorus, they have avoided talking about their problems. Neither of have been truly honest with the other. It’s become painful for the both of them to be in the same room together.  (“Baby you could never look me in the eye/Yeah you buckle with the weight/Of the words/Stop draggin' my/Stop draggin' my/Stop draggin' my heart around.”)

         She tells him she’s concerned about him. Not every one he meets can be trusted. Once people know how fragile he really is, they will take advantage of him. Deep inside, he’s a good person and she doesn’t want to anything to happen to him. (“There's people running 'round loose/In the world/Ain't got nothing better to do/Than make a meal of some/Bright eyed kid/You need someone looking after you.”)

       Petty sings the pre-chorus again.

       They both sing the second chorus again to end the single. (“Baby you could never look me in the eye…stop draggin' my heart around.”)

          Nicks’ admonishing vocals give Petty chunks of her mind. Their relationship, whatever it is, has to have some boundaries. She wants to take care of him but doesn’t want to be his enabler, either. It hurts her to see him beaten and drunk. She can’t just leave him out there.

         Petty’s beseeching vocals promise it’ll be different this time.  He’s a failure and knows it. But he all needs is one more chance. Tonight, he had his last drink. Starting tomorrow, he’ll be the man she deserves.

      The complex “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” lets the uspoken words hang suspended in the air, wondering what else could be found between the sighs and pauses.