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.
I Know I'm Not Wrong
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her eyes looked sad
The dreams of a lifetime
A year gone bad
The dreams of a lifetime
Told me wrong
Everything is all right
Don't blame me
Please be strong
I know I'm not wrong
Here comes the night time
Lookin' for a little more
Waitin' on the last time
Somebody outside the door
Don't blame me
Please be strong
I know I'm not wrong
Her lips were waitin'
Her eyes looked sad
The dreams of a lifetime
A year gone bad
Don't blame me
Please be strong
I know I'm not wrong
The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's song "I" are open to interpretation, but they give the impression of regret and a failed romance. The first verse sets the scene of a woman waiting with a look of sadness in her eyes. The second line suggests that the relationship was once full of hope and possibility, represented by "the dreams of a lifetime," but has now turned sour.
The chorus repeats the message of not wanting to be blamed for the situation and encouraging the person to be strong. The line "I know I'm not wrong" implies that the singer had a part to play in the relationship's downfall.
The second verse shifts the focus to the night time, creating a sense of urgency and longing. The singer seems to be waiting for someone to arrive, perhaps for one last attempt to salvage the relationship. But ultimately, it ends in disappointment and regret, as represented by the woman's waiting lips and sad eyes.
Overall, the lyrics of "I" convey a feeling of loss and misinterpretation. The singer talks about how the dreams of a lifetime have betrayed him and how he wants to make things work but is not being given the chance.
Line by Line Meaning
Her lips were waitin'
She was eager and ready for something
Her eyes looked sad
She appeared unhappy or depressed
The dreams of a lifetime
The goals and ambitions that were deeply important
A year gone bad
A year that did not go well or was full of difficulty
The dreams of a lifetime
The goals and ambitions that were deeply important
Told me wrong
Did not come true, or did not lead to the expected outcome
Everything is all right
Things are okay, or there is nothing to worry about
And now it's gone
The situation or feeling has passed or disappeared
Don't blame me
Do not hold me responsible or at fault
Please be strong
Handle this situation with courage and fortitude
I know I'm not wrong
I am certain that my actions were correct or justified
Here comes the night time
The evening hours are approaching or beginning
Lookin' for a little more
Searching for something additional or special
Waitin' on the last time
Anticipating the final opportunity or occurrence
Somebody outside the door
Another person is waiting nearby, possibly to come in or interact
Her lips were waitin'
She was eager and ready for something
Her eyes looked sad
She appeared unhappy or depressed
The dreams of a lifetime
The goals and ambitions that were deeply important
A year gone bad
A year that did not go well or was full of difficulty
Don't blame me
Do not hold me responsible or at fault
Please be strong
Handle this situation with courage and fortitude
I know I'm not wrong
I am certain that my actions were correct or justified
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Lindsey Buckingham
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Faxxxanadu
This song and video never gets old. Appearances by:
Drummers
Mick Fleetwood
Dennis Dunstan - former manager of Fleetwood Mac (ca. 1981-late 1990s), Mick Fleetwood, and Christine McVie
Dwight Tilley - friend of Tom Petty
Bob Aguirre - Fritz drummer, a band that Stevie and Lindsey were also in (1966-1971)
Dick LaPalm - publicist and promoter
Andy Ward - Camel drummer
Guitarists and bassists
Rick Nowels - later worked with Stevie Nicks as a songwriter and producer
Walter Egan - Stevie and Lindsey appeared on/produced his first two solo albums
Bob Welch - former singer and guitarist of Fleetwood Mac (1971-1974)
Bob Weston - former member of Fleetwood Mac (1972-1973)
Steve Ross - friend of Lindsey, worked with Mick Fleetwood's Zoo
Ray Lindsey - worked with Fleetwood Mac and Lindsey Buckingham as a guitarist and guitar technician. Played rhythm guitar on the Tusk and Mirage tours.
@rickayers4407
My wife who died of cancer in may of 2020 introduced me to this song. I was like" I been missing this masterpiece this whole time?" Because I had never heard it....so anyway we enjoyed this song on repeat for over an hour. She danced w me w her little baldhead.bless her heart I knew she felt bad but this song made us both dance. It will always be one of my most cherished moments w her..
@elenaarman-tang7811
So sorry for your loss 😢 May this song always put a smile on your face.
@Nicks_Pix
What a sweet memory. Words cannot express how sorry I am for your loss...
@imaseaward9850
She left you such a beautiful gift. I’m just SO sorry she couldn’t stay. My husband died recently too. Your post, just reminded me, it’s time I start listening to the music we loved♥️
@LLcoolDel
My wife died of cancer on 12/20 also. I feel for you. If you haven't done so try to find someone else.
@shawnjoncas6692
Blessings to you
@markleidich7591
Happy Birthday to Lindsey Buckingham! He turned 74 years old on October 3rd, 2023! A great singer and guitarist!
@rw8733
A genius.
@spectre315
One of the greatest...
@larryshirley6478
Yes he is. He is quite talented.