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 Need Your Love
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need someone's arms to hold and squeeze me tight
Now, when the night begins, I'm at an end
Because I need your love so bad
I need some lips to feel next to mine
I need someone to stand up and tell me when I'm lyin'
And when the lights are low, and it's time to go
So why don't you give it up, and bring it home to me
Or write it on a piece of paper, baby, so it can be read to me
Tell me that you love me, and stop drivin' me mad
Ooh, because I, I need your love so bad
Need your soft voice, that talked to me at night
I don't want you to worry, baby
I know we can make everything alright
Listen to my plea, baby, bring it to me
Because I need your love so bad
The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's "Need Your Love so Bad" speak to the deep yearning for love and affection that can consume a person's life. The singer of the song is desperately seeking someone to hold them tight, reassure them, and tell them they are loved. They want to feel someone's lips on theirs and have someone to turn to when the night is at its darkest. The song captures the feelings of loneliness and vulnerability that can come when we yearn for someone's love.
The repeated refrain of "I need your love so bad" emphasizes the urgency of the singer's need. This is not just a passing desire or a fleeting crush, but a deep and all-encompassing longing for connection with another person. The verses of the song build on this theme, with the singer describing the specific things they need from their lover, such as someone to tell them when they're lying or a soft voice to talk to them at night.
Overall, "Need Your Love so Bad" is a testament to both the power and the pain of love. It speaks to the fundamental human need for connection and intimacy, and the ways in which that need can consume and control us at times.
Line by Line Meaning
Need someone's hand to lead me through the night
I need guidance and support from someone to help me through difficult times.
I need someone's arms to hold and squeeze me tight
I need the physical comfort and closeness of a loved one to feel safe and secure.
Now, when the night begins, I'm at an end
I feel lost and alone when the darkness sets in.
Because I need your love so bad
My desire for your love is overwhelming and consuming.
I need some lips to feel next to mine
I crave the intimacy and connection of kissing someone I love.
I need someone to stand up and tell me when I'm lyin'
I need someone to keep me honest and accountable for my actions and words.
And when the lights are low, and it's time to go
When the day comes to an end and everything is quiet, that's when I need you the most.
That's when I need your love so bad
I need your love to fill the emptiness and loneliness of the night.
So why don't you give it up, and bring it home to me
I'm pleading with you to give me your love and come back to me.
Or write it on a piece of paper, baby, so it can be read to me
Even if you're not physically with me, I want a reminder of your love that I can hold and read whenever I need it.
Tell me that you love me, and stop drivin' me mad
I need to hear your words of affection to calm my restless mind and ease my anxiety.
Ooh, because I, I need your love so bad
I want you to know how deep my need for your love goes and how much it affects me.
Need your soft voice, that talked to me at night
I yearn for the soothing sound of your voice that used to comfort me in the darkness.
I don't want you to worry, baby
I don't want you to feel guilty or concerned about how much I need you.
I know we can make everything alright
I believe that our love has the power to overcome any obstacle and heal any wounds.
Listen to my plea, baby, bring it to me
I'm begging you to hear my cries for help and come back to me with your love.
Because I need your love so bad
Nothing else can fulfill my deepest desires and needs like your love can.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Jr. Mertis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Izaac Brown
Need someone's hand to lead me through the night
I need someone's arms to hold and squeeze me tight
Now, when the night begins, I'm at an end
Because I need your love so bad
I need some lips to feel next to mine
I need someone to stand up and tell me when I'm lyin'
And when the lights are low, and it's time to go
That's when I need your love so bad
So why don't you give it up, and bring it home to me
Or write it on a piece of paper, baby, so it can be read to me
Tell me that you love me, and stop drivin' me mad
Ooh, because I, I need your love so bad
Need your soft voice, that talked to me at night
I don't want you to worry, baby
I know we can make everything alright
Listen to my plea, baby, bring it to me
Because I need your love so bad
Roy and Jacqueline
Thank you for the lyrics
Beautiful 😭
Merry CHRISTmas!!
💖💓💝💘💗💖
💛💙💛💙💛💙
🎉🎅🏻🤶🏻🛷🍫🎂
❄️☃️🎄🎊🎈🍰
👸🏻💖👑🇬🇧💝👸🏻
🥰🇯🇲🏴🕊️🔥✝️
andy drummond
RIP to an amazing guitarist, songwriter you will be missed.
Branka T.
I hope,dear Peter,somebody have learned how to play the guitar well from you...RIP...
Miist3rDuce1
We lost neil peart little Richard and now Peter green
Steve Lawrence
True legend lost 💔
Brennen Lancashire
The world of music is a sader place 😟 we have lost a world class singing/songwriter and amazing guitarist, never to be bettered 💔😢
Yeehee
@Brennen Lancashire to be fair though he went crazy after too much LSD like 50 years ago and then basically quit making music, with only a few appearances afterwards
Russell Moker
When asked why he named the band Fleetwood Mac he replied that Mick and John needed a band even if he ever left the group. Generous, gentle, talented, under recognized. God bless Peter Green.
britmys
Albion Lost This non-musician knows when she hears the best. Guess I have an untrained ear. To me, his Mac was the best; and Danny Kirwan shared in my estimation with some of the glory. Too bad they were derailed early on. But we are left with a wonderful legacy. I am 74, so I am happy to see younger generations who appreciate their talent.
pretorious700
That's interesting, but not true. The name came from an instrumental John Mayall wrote.
Russell Moker
pretorious700 named “Mac”?