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 (1968β1972) 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 β 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 2018β19 An Evening with Fleetwood Mac tour.
On 28 May 2020 Neil Finn, featuring Nicks and McVie, with Campbell on guitar, released the song βFind Your Way Back Homeβ 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.
Future Games
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know those future games
I turned off all the lights
Oh, the future came
You were by my side
Will you explain?
Oh yeah
Real rhyme or reason for those future games
Now, you were there last night
And oh, were you afraid
Of things we'd come upon
While playin' future games
But baby, it's alright and so have faith
Oh yeah
You invent the future that you want to face
How many people sit home at night
Wondering if they will be here tonight?
Wondering if children will he bring to the light?
Inherit the world, or inherit the night
Wondering if neighbors are thinking the same
All of the wild things tomorrow will tame
Talking of journeys that happen in vain
Well I know I'm not the only one
To ever spend my life sitting playing future games
So you better take your time
You know there's no escape
The future sends a sign
Of things we will create
Baby it's alright
And so have faith
Oh yeah
You invent the future that you want to face
How many people sit home at night
Wondering if they will be here tonight
Wondering if children will he bring to the light
Inherit the world, or inherit the night
Wondering if neighbors are thinking the same
All of the wild things tomorrow will tame
Talking of journeys that happen in vain
And I know I'm not the only one
To ever spend my life sitting playing future games
Future games
Future games
Future games
Future games
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
I know I'm not the only one
In Fleetwood Macβs song βFuture Games,β the lyrics seem to be about pondering the future, the unknown, and the sense of uncertainty in the present. The singer of the song recounts their experience of playing future games, which is essentially a metaphor for thinking about what the future holds for us. The singer turned off all the lights, which seems to suggest that they are alone in this contemplation. They are questioning the rhyme and reason for their future games, indicating that they have no clear understanding of what the future holds.
They reflect on how many people spend their evenings at home, contemplating the future and wondering whether they will still be alive that night. The singer thinks about how people wonder if their children will inherit the world, or if they will be left with nothing but darkness. There is a sense of anticipation and hesitation, as the singer talks about journeys that might happen in vain. Ultimately, the song is about taking time to reflect on the future, and the possibilities it holds.
Line by Line Meaning
I did a thing last night
Last night, I engaged in an activity.
You know those future games
Those future games that I played, you are familiar with.
I turned off all the lights
I switched off all the lights in the room.
Oh, the future came
The future with all its changes and happenings suddenly hit me.
You were by my side
You were present with me in that moment.
Will you explain?
Can you provide an explanation for what I experienced?
Oh yeah
An affirmative response expressing agreement and satisfaction.
Real rhyme or reason for those future games
There isn't a specific reason or logic behind playing future games.
Now, you were there last night
You were with me last night.
And oh, were you afraid
You were filled with fear and anxiety.
Of things we'd come upon
You were scared of the things we would encounter.
While playin' future games
During the process of playing future games.
But baby, it's alright and so have faith
Everything is alright now and have faith in the future.
You invent the future that you want to face
You have the power to create the future that you want to be a part of.
How many people sit home at night
There are a lot of people who stay at home at night.
Wondering if they will be here tonight?
They are filled with uncertainty about their own existence tonight.
Wondering if children will he bring to the light
They are unsure if they will bring new life to the world.
Inherit the world, or inherit the night
They are unsure if the world they will inherit will be full of light or darkness.
Wondering if neighbors are thinking the same
They wonder if their neighbors are contemplating the same things.
All of the wild things tomorrow will tame
All the changes, events, and uncertainties that tomorrow will bring will eventually subside.
Talking of journeys that happen in vain
Talking about the journeys that end up being fruitless and unfulfilling.
And I know I'm not the only one
I am aware that there are others who experience the same things as me.
To ever spend my life sitting playing future games
Spending one's life playing with thoughts of the future.
So you better take your time
You must take all the time you need.
You know there's no escape
You are aware that there is no running away from the future.
The future sends a sign
The future gives indications or hints.
Of things we will create
The future hints at new things we will create.
Baby it's alright
It's okay.
And so have faith
Believe in the future.
Future games
Playing with thoughts of the future.
Future games
Playing with thoughts of the future.
Future games
Playing with thoughts of the future.
Future games
Playing with thoughts of the future.
I know I'm not the only one
I'm aware that I'm not alone.
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, 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?