Primarily a British blues band, Fleetwood Mac scored a UK number one with "Albatross", and had other hits such as the singles "Oh Well" and "Man of the World". All three guitarists left in succession during the early 1970s, to be replaced by guitarists Bob Welch and Bob Weston and vocalist Dave Walker. By 1974, all three of them had either departed or been dismissed, leaving the band without a male lead vocalist or guitarist. In late 1974, while Fleetwood was scouting studios in Los Angeles, he was introduced to American folk-rock duo Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Fleetwood Mac soon asked Buckingham to be their new lead guitarist, and Buckingham agreed on condition that Nicks would also join the band.
The addition of Buckingham and Nicks gave the band a more pop rock sound, and their 1975 self-titled album, Fleetwood Mac, reached No. 1 in the United States. Rumours (1977), Fleetwood Mac's second album after the arrival of Buckingham and Nicks, produced four U.S. Top 10 singles and remained at number one on the American albums chart for 31 weeks. It also reached the top spot in various countries around the world and won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1978. Rumours has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums in history. The band went through personal turmoil while recording the album, as both the romantic partnerships in the band (one being John and Christine McVie, and the other being Buckingham and Nicks) separated while continuing to make music together.
The band's personnel remained stable through three more studio albums, but by the late 1980s began to disintegrate. After Buckingham and Nicks each left the band, they were replaced by a number of other guitarists and vocalists. A 1993 one-off performance for the first inauguration of Bill Clinton featured the lineup of Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Nicks, and Buckingham back together for the first time in six years. A full reunion occurred four years later, and the group released their fourth U.S. No. 1 album, The Dance (1997), a live compilation of their hits, also marking the 20th anniversary of Rumours. Christine McVie left the band in 1998, but continued to work with the band in a session capacity. Meanwhile, the group remained together as a four-piece, releasing their most recent studio album, Say You Will, in 2003. Christine McVie rejoined the band full-time in 2014. In 2018, Buckingham was fired from the band and was replaced by Mike Campbell, formerly of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House.
Fleetwood Mac has sold more than 120 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling bands. In 1979, the group was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1998 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
Danny Kirwan, guitarist, songwriter and early member of Fleetwood Mac (1968–1972) died in London, England, on 8 June 2018, aged 68. An obituary in The New York Times said he had died in his sleep after contracting pneumonia earlier in the year. The British music magazine Mojo quoted Christine McVie as saying: "Danny Kirwan was the white English blues guy. Nobody else could play like him. He was a one-off ... Danny and Peter [Green] gelled so well together. Danny had a very precise, piercing vibrato – a unique sound ... He was a perfectionist; a fantastic musician and a fantastic writer." One of Kirwan's songs, "Tell Me All the Things You Do" from the 1970 album Kiln House, was included in the set of the 2018–19 An Evening with Fleetwood Mac tour.
On 28 May 2020 Neil Finn, featuring Nicks and McVie, with Campbell on guitar, released the song “Find Your Way Back Home” for the Auckland, New Zealand homeless shelter Auckland City Mission.
Founding member Peter Green died on 25 July 2020 at the age of 73. In October 2020, Rumours again entered the Billboard top 10. The album received 30.6 million plays on streaming platforms the week of October 15, after a TikTok video of the song "Dreams" went viral.
On 30 November 2022, it was announced that band member Christine McVie died at the age of 79, after a short illness.
Born Enchanter
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's what the ladies see
Yes, I'm a born enchanter
Down in the city of dreams
Lord do right by me and let me go
Down in my city of dreams, where I need to go
Well I'm a born enchanter
Followin' the sabbath cross
Oh I'm a born enchanter
Looking for the faith I lost
Lord do right by me and let me go
Down to my city of dreams, where I need to go
Yeah, 'cause I'm a born enchanter
The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's "Born Enchanter" speak of the singer's confidence, particularly when it comes to enchanting women. In the opening lines, the singer states that he is a "born enchanter" and that is what the ladies see. He continues with this theme throughout the song, highlighting how he is looking for the faith he lost and following the Sabbath cross. This suggests that the singer may have lost his way in life and is searching for something more meaningful, and through his enchantment of others, he hopes to find it.
The repeated phrase "Lord do right by me and let me go, down to my city of dreams, where I need to go" suggests that the singer is looking for a way to escape his current reality and find solace in a new place. His confidence as a born enchanter will surely help him find what he is looking for in this new city of dreams.
Overall, "Born Enchanter" is a song that speaks to the power of self-confidence and the desire for something more in life. It is a message that many can relate to, and one that is delivered with a great deal of passion and emotion in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm a born enchanter
I have a natural ability to charm and captivate the people around me.
That's what the ladies see
The women I interact with perceive me as a charismatic and alluring individual.
Yes, I'm a born enchanter
I am confident in my ability to enchant and fascinate others.
Down in the city of dreams
I am in a place where people come to fulfill their aspirations and I am part of this milieu.
Lord do right by me and let me go
May my life go as I plan, and may I find my way with ease, no matter how much it may take.
Followin' the sabbath cross
I am seeking guidance from a higher power to lead me in the right direction.
Oh I'm a born enchanter
I have a natural gift to enchant others and make them feel good.
Looking for the faith I lost
I am searching for something that gives me hope and renews my belief in myself and the world around me.
Yeah, 'cause I'm a born enchanter
Indeed, I possess the gift of possessing others because of my overwhelming character.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Robert Welch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Henri Hudson
on Tusk
Why don't you ask him if he's going to stay?
Why don't you ask him if he's going away?