Quit jammin’ me.
Those three words were in the lyrics of “Jammin’ Me,” a hit song by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1987, but they seem even more meaningful in this information-overload world of today.
The song was co-written by the legendary Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Mike Campbell. Campbell, a guitarist for the band, said he wrote the track originally and gave it to Petty, who worked with Dylan to come up with words from newspapers and TV to insert over his track.
According to Petty, the song is about a man who is overwhelmed by the volume of “disconnected news generated in the disinformation age.” The song mentions a list of 1980s celebs, along with “the apple in young Steve’s eye,” referring to Steve Jobs.
“Take back Vanessa Redgrave. Take back Joe Piscopo. Take back Eddie Murphy. Give ’em all some place to go.”
“Jammin’ Me,” according to Petty, is about people “who are reeling from media assaults and shattered relationships but have a desire to survive and make sense of the world.”
If you recall, comedian Eddie Murphy wasn’t too happy about being named in the song. Petty later commented that the verse about Murphy was all Dylan. Petty stated he had nothing against Murphy or actress Vanessa Redgrave. He said Dylan’s words were about “the media overload” and “being slammed with so many things at once.” He didn’t try to explain anything about Joe Piscopo, though. Hmmm.
In the 1980s, before we knew much about global warming, we were continually warned about acid rain. Petty and Dylan had enough of this and of “your life in raisin-land,” as well as “that country club they’re tryin’ to build outside my door.”
One has to wonder what the lyrics of “Jammin’ Me” might include if Dylan, Petty and Campbell would have written it today. What or who would they “take back” from information overload now? Facebook? Amazon? Kim Kardashian? Elon Musk? Texting? Tom Holland? Chris Rock?
Who or what would you include? Shoot me a note and let me know. Then quit jammin’ me.
Have a thoughtful Thursday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com | 
