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.
Dreams
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You say you want your freedom
Well, who am I to keep you down?
It's only right that you should
Play the way you feel it
But listen carefully
To the sound of your loneliness
In the stillness of remembering what you had
And what you lost
And what you had
And what you lost
Oh, thunder only happens when it's rainin'
Players only love you when they're playin'
Say women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know
You'll know
Now here I go again
I see the crystal visions
I keep my visions to myself
It's only me who wants to wrap around your dreams
And have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Dreams of loneliness
Like a heartbeat drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering what you had
And what you lost
And what you had
Ooh, what you lost
Thunder only happens when it's rainin'
Players only love you when they're playin'
Women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know
Oh, thunder only happens when it's rainin'
Players only love you when they're playin'
Say women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know
You'll know
You will know
Oh, you'll know
The song "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac was released in 1977 and is a classic in the world of rock music. The lyrics explore the themes of heartbreak and loneliness as the singer tries to come to terms with the end of a relationship. The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of it: "Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom, well who am I to keep you down?" The singer accepts that the relationship is over and that the other person wants their freedom, but she also acknowledges the pain she feels in her loneliness. The line "It's only right that you should play the way you feel it" suggests that the other person should be true to themselves, but it also implies a sense of resignation that the singer must accept their decision regardless of how it makes her feel.
The chorus of the song, with the line "Thunder only happens when it's raining", is the most iconic part of the song. This line is a metaphor for the turmoil that accompanies a breakup. The next line, "Players only love you when they're playing", suggests that those who claim to love you may not be sincere, and they only love you when they are getting something out of it. The final line, "Say women, they will come and they will go, when the rain washes you clean, you'll know", is an acknowledgement that relationships are temporary and that one must be willing to accept the heartbreak that comes with them.
Overall, "Dreams" is an incredibly powerful song that resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds. It explores the universal themes of love, loss, and heartbreak in a way that is both captivating and heart-wrenching.
Line by Line Meaning
Now here you go again
The singer is acknowledging that someone is entering into a new phase of their life.
You say you want your freedom
The singer understands that this person wants to be free and do what they want.
Well, who am I to keep you down?
The singer admits that they have no right to hold the person back.
It's only right that you should
The artist accepts that the person deserves to live their life as they choose.
Play the way you feel it
The artist encourages the person to be true to themselves.
But listen carefully
The singer advises the person to be aware of their feelings and emotions.
To the sound of your loneliness
The singer tells the person to pay attention to their own loneliness and how it affects them.
Like a heartbeat drives you mad
The artist is describing how the loneliness can consume a person like a constant, driving force.
In the stillness of remembering what you had
The artist describes how the person may become lost in their memories of what they once had.
And what you lost
The artist acknowledges that the person has also experienced loss of what they once had.
Oh, thunder only happens when it's rainin'
The singer explains that things only get crazy and turbulent during difficult times.
Players only love you when they're playin'
The artist warns that some people may only show affection when it benefits them.
Say women, they will come and they will go
The singer acknowledges the fleeting nature of relationships with women.
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know
The singer suggests that tough times can make you stronger and cleanse you of negativity.
Now here I go again
The singer is admitting that they are also entering into a new phase of their life.
I see the crystal visions
The artist is describing experiencing imaginative and clear thoughts about the future.
I keep my visions to myself
The artist is keeping their daydreams private and close to their heart.
It's only me who wants to wrap around your dreams
The singer admits that they are the only one who wants to share in this person's dreams.
And have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
The singer is inquiring if the person has any ambitions they would like to share with them.
Dreams of loneliness
The artist acknowledges that the person may have dreams rooted in their feelings of isolation.
Ooh, what you lost
The artist repeats the idea of losing something, further emphasizing the pain of this loss.
You will know
The artist reassures the person that they will gain insights and understanding through their experiences.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stephanie Nicks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Tzeyingchew
Now here you go again
You say you want your freedom
Well, who am I to keep you down?
It's only right that you should
Play the way you feel it
But listen carefully
To the sound of your loneliness
Like a heartbeat drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering what you had
And what you lost
And what you had
And what you lost
Oh, thunder only happens when it's rainin'
Players only love you when they're playin'
Say women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know
You'll know
Now here I go again
I see the crystal visions
I keep my visions to myself
It's only me who wants to wrap around your dreams
And have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Dreams of loneliness
Like a heartbeat drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering what you had
And what you lost
And what you had
Ooh, what you lost
Thunder only happens when it's rainin'
Players only love you when they're playin'
Women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know
Oh, thunder only happens when it's rainin'
Players only love you when they're playin'
Say women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know
You'll know
You will know
Oh, you'll know
@johns9543
Who's listening to Fleetwood Mac in 2024
@mohammedal-shawi8041
This is brilliance..
@user-cx3bo2rl3y
Me, from Tahiti
@JarlyShots
Got the whole kitchen at work singing like backup singers 😂
@marcelorojas1088
I'm, from Brazil
@ras_jokah420
My first time ❤
@jpeter5715
My girlfriend said this song sucked, now she's single.
@Gypsy1194
Rightly so! Lol
@truthfulnubian7769
🤣🤣
@charliewillis6231
sacralige