Tom Petty was one of the greats not only in music but in music videos as well and with his recent passing, I felt compelled to honor him by discussing one of my favorite music videos. Considering, I’m a real Alice in Wonderland freak, “Don’t Come Around Here No More” is, of course, one of my favorites. The song was a collaborative work between Tom Petty and Eurythmics’ David Stewart released in 1985.
There were many traditional Alice in Wonderland elements throughout the video, such as:
A hookah smoking caterpillar (played by Stewert),
A mad tea party hosted by Tom Petty himself as the mad hatter,
and they even incorporated flamingos. Though, as bows for the cello rather than croquet mallets. There were also some original elements as well,
like Alice being turned into a cake and eaten alive by the party guests.
The video is eye-catching with the creepy masonic checkerboard floor and walls. The chorus girls coordinating full body suits and Tom Petty’s shades make the whole trip seem very rock n roll. The video is just as original as Lewis Carrol’s own Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
According to “The Atlantic” the Alice in Wonderland theme was inspired by British musician Dave Stewart’s first impression of 1980’s Los Angeles. In the video, Alice is bewildered to find herself among so many strange characters. In one scene a plate of donuts is set in front of Alice and one by one each party guest grabs them up before she even has a chance, a feeling every struggling artisan living in LA could relate to. The end scene in which Alice is turned into a cake rings a bell of a familiar phrase for anyone trying to get by in the city, “They’ll eat you alive!” as Petty sings “Don’t Come Around Here No More…” Knowing the inspiration for the video I can see how one might use Alice in Wonderland as a metaphor for the LA rock scene.
-Jo Resner
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Sources:
VideoKills 