Early life
Christine Anne Perfect was born on July 12th, 1943. Her father, Cyril, was a college professor and concert violinist, and mother Beatrice (called Tee) was a medium, a psychic and a faith healer. Her grandfather had played the organ in Westminster Abbey. Although Christine had been introduced to the piano at age four, she didn't really take to music until she was 11. She continued taking classical music lessons until the age of 15, when her older brother, John, brought home a Fats Domino songbook which transformed her musical interest from classical music to rock n' roll. Other early influences include The Everly Brothers and The Beatles.
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Early Music
Christine studied sculpture at an art college in Birmingham, England for 5 years, with the goal of becoming an art teacher. During that time she met a number of budding musicians in England's blues scene. During her time at college Christine joined a small blues band called "Shades Of Blue" in which she played bass, also in her spare she would sing with Spencer Davis. After 5 years Christine graduated from art college with a teaching degree. She moved to London, where she worked briefly as a department store window-dresser.
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Chicken Shack
In 1968 she met up with her friends Andy Sylvester & Stan Webb, and they invited her to play keyboards/piano and sing background vocals in their band Chicken Shack, a blues band which had difficulty finding mainstream success. Christine stayed with Chicken Shack for 2 albums and together they scored the top 10 British hit "I'd Rather Go Blind" with Christine on lead vocals. She was also given a Melody Maker award for female vocalist of the year, and she was lauded for having one of the "top 10 pairs of legs in all of Britain". Christine left Chicken Shack in 1969 after meeting Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie.
Fleetwood Mac
Christine was a big fan of Fleetwood Mac at the time and while touring with Chicken Shack the two bands would often run into each other. Encouraged to continue her career, she recorded a solo album, Christine Perfect, which she does not feel is among her better works. As Christine McVie, she joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970, just after marrying Fleetwood Mac bass guitarist John McVie. She had already contributed backup vocals, played keyboards, and painted the cover for Kiln House. The band had just lost founding member Peter Green and its members were nervous about touring without him. McVie had been a huge fan of the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, and since she knew all the lyrics to their songs, she went along. McVie quickly became an essential member of the group, and the author of some of its finest songs, a position she would continue to hold for nearly 25 years.
The early '70s was a rocky time for the band, with a revolving door of musicians, and only the albums Mystery To Me and Bare Trees scoring any successes, not to mention that a group impersonating Fleetwood Mac was touring the United States without their permission. John McVie's alcohol drinking became unbearable; Christine had an affair with a music producer, and she nearly left John and the band to make a solo album with her lover. However, he went back to his spouse, so she did the same.
In 1974, Christine McVie reluctantly agreed to move with the rest of the band to the US and make a fresh start. Within a year, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham of Buckingham Nicks joined the band. They breathed new life into the music. Their first album together, 1975's Fleetwood Mac, had several hit songs, with McVie's "Over My Head" and "Say You Love Me" both reaching Billboard's top-20 singles chart.
In 1976, McVie began an on-the-road affair with the band's lighting director, which inspired her to write "You Make Loving Fun", a top-10 hit on the landmark smash Rumours, one of the best-selling albums of all-time. Her biggest hit was "Don't Stop", which climbed all the way to #3 and has become identified forever as the song Bill Clinton played on the Presidential campaign trail and at his 1993 Inaugural Gala (McVie and the others performed there, as well as at the Super Bowl a few days later).
By the end of the Rumours tour, the McVies had divorced. The 1979 double album Tusk produced three more top-20 hits ("Tusk," "Sara," and "Think About Me"), but it was considered a disappointment since practically nothing could top the success of the Rumours album. The group reunited three years later to record Mirage, which contained the top-5 hit "Hold Me". "Hold Me" was also the band's first music video; McVie's inspiration for the song was her tortured relationship with Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson. Wilson drowned in an accident a few years later, breaking McVie's heart.
In 1984, McVie decided to take a risk and to record a solo album, as most of the other band members had done. She created hits with the songs "Got a Hold on Me" (Top 10 pop and #1 adult contemporary) and "Love Will Show Us How". The synthesizer-heavy tracks were viewed by some as somewhat jarring in contrast to the crisp and clear singing tones of McVie. Nevertheless, McVie is quoted in The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits as saying of her solo album, "Maybe it isn't the most adventurous album in the world, but I wanted to be honest and please my own ears with it."
She also met keyboardist Eddy Quintela (12 years her junior), whom she married in October 1986. They divorced a decade later. In the meantime, they wrote several songs together, two of which, "Little Lies" and "As Long As You Follow," became hits for Fleetwood Mac.
After covering the Elvis Presley standard "Can't Help Falling In Love With You" for the Howie Mandel film A Fine Mess, she rejoined Fleetwood Mac to record the Tango in the Night album. Her voice had never been better and she had one of her hits, and one of the more widely played songs of the era, "Little Lies".
In 1990 the band, minus Lindsey Buckingham, recorded Behind the Mask, but the sales were sluggish and the singles were only marginally successful. McVie had always been reluctant to go on concert tours, preferring to stay close to home with friends and family. Upon the death of her father, Cyril Perfect, that year, during the Behind The Mask tour, McVie made the decision to retire from touring altogether. Despite the departure of Stevie Nicks, McVie remained loyal to Mick Fleetwood and her former husband, recording five songs for the band's 1995 effort Time. The album, which suffered from a lack of publicity and was created by a lineup unfamiliar to the public, was a flop.
The members of the band seemed to have gone their separate ways until Christine McVie, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Lindsey Buckingham got together again for one of Lindsey Buckingham's solo projects. They persuaded Christine to record and tour with them one last time. The live album, 1997's The Dance, went to #1 on the charts. McVie complied with their touring schedule, and then performed for the group's 1998 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the Grammy Awards show, and the Brit Awards. Thereafter, she retired from Fleetwood Mac altogether.
In the years after The Dance, Christine McVie stepped out of public view almost completely. In 2000 she did, however, appear in public to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the University of Greenwich, England. Some years later, in December 2003, she went to see Fleetwood Mac's last UK performance on the Say You Will tour in London, but did not join her former bandmates on the stage.
Mid-2004 saw the release of McVie's new solo album, "In the Meantime", her third in a career spanning five decades. Recorded in her converted barn in Kent, England, McVie worked on the project with her nephew, Dan Perfect, who contributed guitar-playing, back-up vocals, and songwriting. There was no tour to accompany this album, though McVie consented to a limited number of press interviews in the UK and the USA. Prior to her death on 30 November 2022 at the age of 79 (after a short illness), McVie lived in the south of England and rarely left her countryside home.
RIP 2022
Christine McVie, singer and keyboardist for classic rock icons Fleetwood Mac, died at the age of 79 on Nov. 30, 2022. Her family issued a statement saying she "passed away peacefully at hospital... following a short illness." McVie and Steve Nicks were a powerful one-two vocal punch for the prolific hitmakers during the 70's and 80's.
The band had this to say about McVie's passing: "There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine MCVie. She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed. - Fleetwood Mac."
I'm The One
Christine McVie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Two am and it's you on the telephone
Cryin' in your sleep
You figure since I got a shoulder and I live alone
You can come to me
Well, everytime you find romantic infidelity
I don't mind it if you make a martyr out of me
But there's one thing you got to know
Chorus 1:
I'm the one, I'm the one, yeah
To get you out of this
I'm the one, I am the one
I'm the one you'll miss
Baby, I'm the one
When you're feelin' like you need a little confidence
I'm the one you come to
Every time you get in some kinda sticky mess
I'm the one you run to
But you don't understand the heartache behind my kiss
You're just thankful for a friend
I'm not your doctor baby, I'm not your psychiatrist
But you keep comin' back again
Chorus 2:
'cause I'm the one, I'm the one, yeah
To get you out of this
Well, I'm the one
I know where you're comin' from
I'm the one you'll miss
Baby, I'm the one
Chorus 1
Christine McVie's song "I'm the One" is about being someone's constant emotional support, despite the fact that they only come to you when they need help. The song is sung from the perspective of someone who is constantly being relied on by another person, who calls them in the middle of the night, crying in their sleep. While the singer claims that they don't mind being a "martyr" for this person, they also express frustration that the other person doesn't seem to understand the pain that they're going through. The chorus of the song reiterates that the singer is "the one" who can help the other person out of their difficult situation, and that they will be missed if they're not around.
The lyrics of "I'm the One" highlight the emotional labor that women often perform in relationships, taking on the role of emotional caregiver and support system for their partners. This can be exhausting and emotionally draining, as the constant demands of another person can leave them feeling unappreciated and unfulfilled. Despite this, the singer in this song is willing to continue being there for the other person, even though they know they won't be fully appreciated for their efforts.
Overall, "I'm the One" is a poignant and insightful commentary on the challenges of emotional labor in relationships, and the toll it can take on those who perform it.
Line by Line Meaning
Two am and it's you on the telephone
You call me in the middle of the night when you're feeling down.
Cryin' in your sleep
You're upset and you can't even control it when you're asleep.
You figure since I got a shoulder and I live alone
You feel like you can come to me because I'm available and you know I care about you.
You can come to me
You feel comfortable confiding in me and sharing your problems.
Well, everytime you find romantic infidelity
Whenever you suspect someone is cheating on you or not being faithful.
You make a point to let me know
You tell me about it because you want my support and advice.
I don't mind it if you make a martyr out of me
I'm okay with you using me as a sounding board or someone to lean on.
But there's one thing you got to know
However, there's something important you need to understand.
Chorus 1:
I am the one you can rely on, but there are limits.
I'm the one, I'm the one, yeah
I'm the person you come to for help and support.
To get you out of this
To help you deal with whatever situation you are facing.
I'm the one, I am the one
I'm the person you trust and feel safe with.
I'm the one you'll miss
You'll realize what you had with me once I'm no longer there for you.
Baby, I'm the one
I'm the only one you really need.
When you're feelin' like you need a little confidence
When you're feeling unsure of yourself or need a boost of self-esteem.
I'm the one you come to
You turn to me for reassurance and a listening ear.
Every time you get in some kinda sticky mess
Whenever you find yourself in a difficult situation or problem.
I'm the one you run to
You come to me because you know I'll be there for you.
But you don't understand the heartache behind my kiss
You don't realize that I have feelings for you and it hurts me to see you go through these things.
You're just thankful for a friend
You appreciate me as a friend, but you don't realize how much more I want to be to you.
I'm not your doctor baby, I'm not your psychiatrist
I can only offer so much help and support, I'm not a trained professional.
But you keep comin' back again
Despite everything, you still rely on me and seek my help.
Chorus 2:
I am still the one you rely on.
'cause I'm the one, I'm the one, yeah
I am still the person you come to for help and support.
To get you out of this
To help you with your problems and difficulties.
Well, I'm the one
Despite everything, I am still the one you trust and value.
I know where you're comin' from
I understand your situation and feelings better than anyone else.
I'm the one you'll miss
You'll regret not valuing me more once I'm no longer there for you.
Baby, I'm the one
I am still the only one you really need.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Morten Harket, Ole Olsen, Peter Kvint
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind