Depot Street

Album: single release only (1975)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Tom Petty left his native Gainesville for the West Coast on April Fool's Day, 1974, his then-band Mudcrutch having gone as far as they could go locally. They were signed by Shelter Records, and "Depot Street," credited to Thomas Petty, was their first release. Running to 3 minutes 26 seconds, it was produced by Denny Cordell.
  • It might be tempting to think this song is autobiographical, but although there is a Depot Lane in Gainesville, there is no Depot Street, and his father's name was not Mackintosh.
  • The B-side was another Petty composition, "Wild Eyes." The record was an unofficial promo release. In the US, depot is pronounced DEEP-oh; in the UK, DEPP-oh. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for all above

Comments: 1

  • Cee from Florida, UsaActually, it’s Depot AVENUE. My sister and brother in law lived on that street when they were students at the University of Florida.

    When my husband spoke to his old high school friend on the phone and told him we had heard his record on the local radio station, Tommy was annoyed because “Wild Eyes” was supposed to be the A side!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

Donny Osmond

Donny OsmondSongwriter Interviews

Donny Osmond talks about his biggest hits, his Vegas show, and the fan who taught him to take "Puppy Love" seriously.

Carl Sturken

Carl SturkenSongwriter Interviews

Hitmaker Carl Sturken on writing and producing for Rihanna, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Donny Osmond, Shakira and Karyn White.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Mick Jones of Foreigner

Mick Jones of ForeignerSongwriter Interviews

Foreigner's songwriter/guitarist tells the stories behind the songs "Juke Box Hero," "I Want To Know What Love Is," and many more.

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.