The Hit Stevie Nicks Wasn’t Sure About Releasing

Predicting which songs will be hits and which one’s will flop is no easy feat–even for veteran musicians. The music industry can be a fickle place and the tastes of audiences change with the wind. Nicks faced that predicament on her debut album, Bella Donna. She wasn’t sure about releasing one of the album’s hits, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” The fact that the song was written by another artist generated pause for Nicks. Find out more about why she questioned this song, below.

[RELATED: The Ballad Stevie Nicks Wrote for Joe Walsh After an Unforgettable Car Ride With Him, “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You”]

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The Hit Stevie Nicks Wasn’t Sure About Releasing

Baby, you’ll come knocking on my front door

Same old line you used to use before

I said yeah, well what am I supposed to do?

I didn’t know what I was getting into

“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” is one of Nicks’ biggest hits. Nicks, a longtime fan of Tom Petty, got him and The Heartbreakers on this track. Moreover, Petty penned this song for Nicks, letting her borrow his signature sound.

On paper, that set up seems like Nicks’ dream. However, she was a little wary of the prospect. Nicks, a renowned songwriter, wondered if adding a song from another writer, when slots are so limited, was the right move. In the end, she received some advice that changed her mind.

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

“When they showed it to me, I was like, ‘Is this the right thing to do? I only get 11 songs, and one of them won’t be mine,’” Nicks once said. “And both Tom and Jimmy said to me, in a brutally honest way, ‘You don’t have a single on this record. And here’s a single for you.’”

I know you really wanna tell me goodbye

I know you really wanna be your own girl

So you’ve had a little trouble in town

Now you’re keeping some demons down

Stop draggin’ my, stop draggin’ my

Stop draggin’ my heart around

“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” was certainly successful as a single. Nicks’ solo career would likely not be the same without this buzzy duet. Revisit the track, below.

(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for ABA)