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.
Don't Let Me Down Again
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm the best boy you've ever had
You won't leave and find a new start
It's gonna kill me if you break my heart
Ooh, once you let me down again, yeah
Ooh, you're just bound to see the end
I'm gonna make it again someday
There's just one thing I'd like you to know
I've got no more to lose if you go
Ooh, once you let me down again, yeah
Ooh, you're just bound to see the end
Ain't no way they're gonna treat me so bad
I'm the best boy you've ever had
Ain't no reason to find a new start
It's gonna kill me if you break my heart
Ooh, once you let me down again, yeah yeah
Ooh, you're just bound to see the end
The lyrics to Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Let Me Down Again" are a plea from the singer to their loved one to not treat them poorly or leave them. The singer reminds their partner that they are the best person they've ever had, and the thought of them finding a new start elsewhere would be devastating. However, the singer also acknowledges that they will not tolerate being let down again, and if their partner were to break their heart it would be the end of their relationship.
The repetition of "once you let me down again" in the chorus highlights the singer's fear and mistrust towards their partner. Despite this, the singer still holds onto hope that they can make it work and that they will not be treated badly. The line "I'm gonna make it again someday" suggests that the singer has been hurt before but is resilient and determined to not let their past experiences hinder their ability to love.
Overall, the lyrics convey the uncertainty and vulnerability that can come with being in a relationship, and the internal struggle between wanting to hold onto love while also being afraid of getting hurt again.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, baby don't treat me so bad
Please treat me with kindness and respect
I'm the best boy you've ever had
I'm a good partner and deserve to be valued
You won't leave and find a new start
Stay with me and don't give up on our relationship
It's gonna kill me if you break my heart
I will be devastated if you end our relationship
Ooh, once you let me down again, yeah
If you hurt me again, it will be the end for us
Ooh, you're just bound to see the end
Continuing to hurt me will lead to the downfall of our relationship
Ain't no way they're gonna treat me this way
I won't stand for being mistreated
I'm gonna make it again someday
I will overcome any obstacles and succeed in life
There's just one thing I'd like you to know
I have something important to tell you
I've got no more to lose if you go
If you leave me, I have nothing left to lose
Ain't no way they're gonna treat me so bad
I won't tolerate being mistreated
It's gonna kill me if you break my heart
Losing you will be too much for me to bear
Ooh, once you let me down again, yeah yeah
Continuing to disappoint me will be the end of us
Ooh, you're just bound to see the end
Harming our relationship will lead to its demise
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Lindsey Buckingham
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?