Shearwater/Sharon Van Etten cover SDMHA

[Livia]

Sharon Van Etten and Shearwater cover “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”

Sharon Van Etten and Shearwater cover “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”
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You might notice, astute readers, that Stevie Nicks’ duet with Tom Petty, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” was not actually on this year’s list. The song was on an early version of the list, which went out to tourmates Sharon Van Etten and Shearwater. I suggested they do this song, and they agreed—and then scheduling proved too difficult. Since our dream team couldn’t do it, I pulled it from the list. And then, by magic or fate, they were able to squeeze us in. So, as with last year’s Undercover debut (Iron & Wine’s version of George Michael’s “One More Try”), we’re kicking things off with a bonus track. You got lucky, babes.

This song, written by Tom Petty but supposedly ****canned for several years for having too feminine a lyric, was a massive hit for Stevie Nicks in 1981. It caught Petty and Nicks at the height of their powers, as songwriter and chanteuse. (You can check out a Petty-only demo in the Playback box set, or here on YouTube.)

Back to our dream team: Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater has graced the little round room more times than anyone now, having guested on Wye Oak’s rendition of The Kinks’ “Strangers” and knocking out a Randy Newman song for Holiday Undercover. Dude is game, and the new Shearwater album, Animal Joy, is excellent. Sharon Van Etten, who plays Ms. Nicks here, is having a hell of year. She recently released Tramp, which will almost surely be gracing many, many year-end lists (the good kinds!).

Oh, and why are we making them team up? We’re trying not to have too many repeat performers in the round room, but a brand-new collaboration doesn’t count, right? Right. Enjoy.