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.
Come a Little Bit Closer
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a simple melody
And I wonder are you thinking
Of a single memory
And I know when I see them swaying
I can hear myself say
Come a little bit closer (come a little bit closer)
When you held me in your arms (come a little bit closer)
And you wanted to be mine
Everything good, everything gold
And now all that's left is a sweet memory
If you love me, let me know
Why don't you show me which way to go?
Please don't leave me all alone
'Cause I can't make it on my own
And I know when I see them swaying
I can hear myself say
Come a little bit closer (come a little bit closer)
'Cause I remember the time
When you held me in your arms (come a little bit closer)
And you wanted to be mine
I might but wrong, but that's where I belong
Why are you just a sweet memory?
Come a little bit closer (come a little bit closer)
'Cause I remember the time
When you held me in your arms (come a little bit closer)
And you wanted to be mine
Everything good, everything gold
Why are you just a sweet memory?
(Come a little bit closer)
(Come a little bit closer)
(Come a little closer)
(Come a little closer)
The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's song Come a Little Bit Closer convey a sense of nostalgia and longing for a relationship that has ended. The singer is dancing to a simple melody and wonders if the other person is thinking of the same memories. The singer remembers a time when they were held in the other person's arms and wanted to be together, but now all that is left is a sweet memory.
The chorus repeats the plea to come a little bit closer, and the singer asks the other person to let them know which way to go and not to leave them alone. The singer acknowledges that they can't make it on their own and that they belong with the other person. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus and the question of why the other person has become just a sweet memory.
The lyrics of this song evoke a universal feeling of loss and regret that many people can relate to. The simple melody and the repetition of the chorus make the song easy to sing along to and help to reinforce the message of the lyrics. Fleetwood Mac's unique style and harmonies add depth to the song's emotional impact.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm dancing, to the music
I am enjoying the music and dancing to its rhythm.
Of a simple melody
The song has a straightforward tune, making it easy to dance to.
And I wonder are you thinking
I am curious if you are also reminiscing about the past.
Of a single memory
Recalling a particular moment shared between us.
And I know when I see them swaying
The sight of other people dancing reminds me of our past moments together.
I can hear myself say
It provokes me to whisper to myself.
Come a little bit closer (come a little bit closer)
I want you to get closer to me.
'Cause I remember the time
I am recalling the memory of the time we spent together.
When you held me in your arms (come a little bit closer)
I want you to hold me tight one more time.
And you wanted to be mine
You showed an interest in being with me.
Everything good, everything gold
Our relationship was excellent and precious to me in the past.
And now all that's left is a sweet memory
Now all I have is a lovely memory of our past moments together.
If you love me, let me know
If you still love me, please express it to me.
Why don't you show me which way to go?
I want to know where I stand with you and where our relationship is headed.
Please don't leave me all alone
I do not want to be left by myself without you.
'Cause I can't make it on my own
I cannot overcome this heartbreak by myself.
I might but wrong, but that's where I belong
I may not be correct, but I feel like I should be with you.
Why are you just a sweet memory?
I want the memory of you to be more than just a bittersweet thought.
(Come a little bit closer)
My desire for you to move closer to me.
(Come a little bit closer)
My desire for you to move closer to me.
(Come a little closer)
My desire for you to move even closer to me.
(Come a little closer)
My desire for you to move even closer to me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Christine McVie
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?