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.
If You Let Me Love You
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
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(Or and on the piano)
(Make it more sparkly sounding)
Tonight there are no saviors
This night outside my window
And the sun turns away
And you are lost in dreaming
Where is the wild white rose
Oh no, my hands reach for numbers
Of someone that could tell me
Oh, if you were my love
If you were my love
With your crosses to bear
And your dreams that still live on
With your crosses to bear, now
And your dreams that still live on
Oh, moment to moment
Yeah yeah, moment to moment
Well, they say that everyone, everyone, everyone
Must remain faithful
However momentarily
Now, now, if I were the one
Who watched over your sleeping
No, no, you would never, never
Have been frightened
Oh oh, oh, no no, not at all
And our dreams that sill live on
With our crosses to bear
And our dreams that still live on
Oh, moment to moment
Yeah yeah, moment to moment
Well, they say that everyone, everyone
Must remain faithful, oh, ooh
If you were my love
If you were my love (yeah yeah)
If you were my love (no)
If you were my love (moment to moment)
If you were my love
If you were my love
If you were my love
If you were my love (no no, everyone)
If you were my love (no, you must reman)
If you were my love (if you were my love)
If you were my love (anytime)
If you were my love (if you were my love)
If you were my love (I said, If you were my love, baby)
If you were my love (you'll always be my love, baby)
If you were my love (it goes on and on, and on and on and on and on)
If you were my love (it goes on and on, and on and on and on and on)
If you were my love (just tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me)
If you were my love (it goes on and on, and on and on and on and on)
If you were my love (oh, tell me)
Oh, if you were my love
The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's song "If You Let Me Love You" present a vivid picture of a night without saviors. The artist wants to reach out to someone who can bring back the white rose which symbolizes love back to his life. The song begins with a melancholic atmosphere, where the artist is unable to find any hope around him. He gazes out of his window, and as the sun sets, he's left alone with his thoughts. The chorus emphasizes the fact that he's holding on to someone he loves, but she's not with him. He wants to find someone who can help him search for her. He repeats the line, "If you let me love you," with an aching desperation, hoping that the one he loves is somewhere listening.
As the song progresses, the artist jumps from one idea to another, as if he's constructing his thoughts on the go. He speaks of "crosses to bear" and "dreams that still live on," which implies that he's struggling to let go of the past. However, even with those burdens, he is willing to journey moment-to-moment with someone he loves. In the final moments, the artist regains some hope, singing about how he wishes to watch over the one he loves as she sleeps, to protect her from all her fears. He repeats the chorus several times, each time emphasizing his longing to be with her.
Overall, the song's melancholic and introspective atmosphere serves to emphasize the artist's feelings of isolation and longing for the one he loves. The lyrics evoke a sense of yearning, emphasizing the artist's desire to hold on to his Love.
Line by Line Meaning
Tonight there are no saviors
No help or rescue is expected tonight.
This night outside my window
The current night's atmosphere is right outside the singer's window.
And the sun turns away
Day has ended and night has started.
As the moon rolls over the mountain
The moon has risen over the horizon and can be seen above the mountain.
And you are lost in dreaming
The person being addressed is in deep sleep and is currently dreaming.
Where is the wild white rose
The singer is looking for something that cannot easily be found.
Oh no, my hands reach for numbers
The singer is trying to find someone to call for help.
Of someone that could tell me
The artist is trying to find someone who can answer their questions.
Oh, if you were my love
The artist wishes that the person being addressed was their significant other.
With your crosses to bear
The person being addressed has personal struggles that they must deal with.
And your dreams that still live on
The person being addressed still has aspirations and desires that they want to achieve.
Oh, moment to moment
The artist is living their life day by day, without much foresight or planning.
Well, they say that everyone, everyone, everyone
It is commonly said that everyone must remain faithful to their beliefs, values, and loved ones.
Must remain faithful
Everyone must remain loyal and true to what they believe in and who they care about.
However momentarily
Even if it is for a short period of time.
Now, now, if I were the one
The artist is imagining a scenario where they are watching over the person being addressed while they sleep.
Who watched over your sleeping
The artist wants to protect the person being addressed while they are vulnerable.
No, no, you would never, never
The singer can assure the person being addressed that they will never be afraid or worried while they are watching over them.
Have been frightened
The person being addressed would not be scared or uneasy if under the singer's protection.
And our dreams that still live on
The artist and the person being addressed both have personal aspirations and goals that they want to achieve.
If you were my love
The artist wishes that the person being addressed was their significant other.
If you were my love (yeah yeah)
The artist is emphasizing their desire for the person being addressed to be their significant other.
If you were my love (no)
The singer is reminded that the person being addressed is not their significant other.
If you were my love (moment to moment)
The artist is willing to take life moment by moment with the person being addressed as their significant other.
If you were my love (no no, everyone)
Everyone is expected to remain faithful and true to their beliefs and loved ones.
If you were my love (no, you must remain)
The singer is reminding the person being addressed that they should remain loyal and true to their significant other.
If you were my love (if you were my love)
The singer's desire for the person being addressed to be their significant other is still present.
If you were my love (anytime)
The artist is expressing their desire for the person being addressed to be their significant other at any time.
If you were my love (I said, If you were my love, baby)
The artist is repeating their desire for the person being addressed to be their significant other.
If you were my love (you'll always be my love, baby)
The singer will always consider the person being addressed someone they love and care about.
If you were my love (it goes on and on, and on and on and on and on)
The singer's desire for the person being addressed to be their significant other is never-ending and persistent.
If you were my love (just tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me)
The artist wants to know if the person being addressed shares the same desire to be their significant other.
Oh, if you were my love
The artist wishes that the person being addressed was their significant other.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stephanie Nicks
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?