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 Wonder Why
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Picking up the pieces to go on
Our dreams are scattered in the wind
I won't let it take me under
Even though you tried, and
I wonder why
Things go the way they do
And break a heart in two
I wonder why
Things go the way they do
It's strange
Strange the way I feel
Time is all I need to make me heal
You're gone
And now I'm all alone (now you're all alone)
I'll reclaim the thunder
Dry the tears I've cried, still
I wonder why
Things go the way they do
Why people lie
And break a heart in two
I wonder why
Things go the way they do
Now I'm turning my back on confusion
It's alright, you're right, it's alright
I won't live in a world of illusion
There's no time, no time, no time
Well the river stopped running through me
You didn't see what you did to me (didn't see what you did to me)
I've got to try to find, some kind of peace of mind
You're just a mystery to me
I'll reclaim the thunder
Dry the tears I've cried, still
I wonder why
Things go the way they do
Why people lie
And break a heart in two
I wonder why
Things go the way they do
I wonder why, I wonder why, I wonder why, I
I wonder why, I wonder why, I wonder why, I
I wonder why, I wonder why, I wonder why, I
I wonder why, I wonder why, I wonder why
The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's "I Wonder Why" depict a couple whose love has ended and the singer is struggling to come to terms with the aftermath. The song focuses on the resilience and determination of the singer to move on despite the hurt and confusion they feel. The lyrics suggest pain, betrayal and disillusionment brought on by the end of the relationship. The singer wonders why people lie and break hearts in two, suggesting that this is not the first time they have experienced heartbreak. However, despite everything, the singer is determined to rise above their situation, dry their tears and reclaim their strength.
The mention of ‘dreams scattered in the wind’ indicates that the relationship had a lot of potential and promise but eventually ended up in disappointment. The phrase ‘I won't live in a world of illusion’ indicates that the singer acknowledges the reality of the situation and refuses to bury their head in denial. The line ‘You're just a mystery to me’ suggests that the singer never truly understood the reasons why their partner acted the way they did, and is further proof of their confusion.
Overall, "I Wonder Why" is a song that captures the emotions that many go through when they are betrayed and left to pick up the pieces of a broken relationship. The lyrics showcase resilience, strength and the willingness to move forward despite being hurt.
Line by Line Meaning
It's hard
Dealing with the aftermath of a broken love is difficult.
When a love goes wrong
After a love ends unfavorably.
Picking up the pieces to go on
Trying to move forward and rebuild what was lost.
Our dreams
The goals we had envisioned for the future.
Are scattered in the wind
Have been disrupted and thrown away by the events that unfolded.
I won't let it take me under
Won't allow the broken love to defeat me.
Even though you tried, and
Despite your efforts to harm me.
I wonder why
Questioning the reasons behind the tumultuous events.
Things go the way they do
Not understanding why things happen the way they do.
Why people lie, and break a heart in two
Asking why people often choose to deceive and hurt others.
It's strange
The emotions I'm feeling are unusual and unsettling.
Strange the way I feel
The mixed and troubled feelings I have.
Time is all I need to make me heal
Only time will allow me to recover from my pain and heartbreak.
You're gone
You have left me alone.
And now I'm all alone (now you're all alone)
Completely alone since you left me.
I'll reclaim the thunder
I will take control of my life and become powerful again.
Dry the tears I've cried, still
Stop mourning the loss and move on.
Now I'm turning my back on confusion
No longer allowing myself to be confused or lost.
I won't live in a world of illusion
Refusing to dwell in something that isn't real or true.
Well the river stopped running through me
The emotions that once flowed strongly through me have ceased.
You didn't see what you did to me
You were unaware of the damage that you caused me.
I've got to try to find, some kind of peace of mind
I need to search for inner calm and contentment.
You're just a mystery to me
I don't understand who you are or why you did what you did.
Things go the way they do
Events unfold without clear explanations.
Why people lie, and break a heart in two
Asking why people often choose to deceive and hurt others.
I wonder why
Questioning the reasons behind the tumultuous events.
Things go the way they do
Again, reflecting on the unpredictable nature of events.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Mason, Franke Jon Previte, Thomas M. Fuller
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?