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.
Keep on Going
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For a little peace in any season
I'd give up anything but your love
I don't want to trade, tryin' to be happy
That's only playin' anyway
But if I dream about it, it makes me wonder
But I won't worry, and if I'm living on borrowed time
I'm gonna keep on the way I'm going
For every crime, there's retribution
And every vally has a mountainside
No, I don't like to trade just to be happy
That kind of deal won't turn out right
See it ain't good to stare inside yourself too long
For every true thing theree's one more lie
But I won't worry 'cause if I'm living on borrowed time
I'll just try to keep on the way I'm going
In "Keep on Going," Fleetwood Mac lead guitarist Bob Welch sings about the importance of staying positive and persevering through difficult times. In the first verse, Welch sings that he would give up anything except for love to find peace in any season. He doesn't want to compromise his happiness by trading for it, knowing that true happiness doesn't come from material possessions. In the second verse, he acknowledges that every good thing comes with its own set of bad things, but he won't let that worry him. He knows that for every crime, there's retribution and for every valley, there's a mountainside, meaning that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Welch advises not getting caught up in introspection, as it can lead to a spiral of negative emotions. Instead, he will keep on the way he's going, no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
For a little peace in any season
I seek peace in all seasons
I'd give up anything but your love
I value your love over anything else
I don't want to trade, tryin' to be happy
I don't want to make compromises just to be happy
That's only playin' anyway
Compromising just for the sake of happiness is futile
But if I dream about it, it makes me wonder
I question myself when I dream about it
For every good thing, must you get bad
Everything good comes with an equal amount of trouble
But I won't worry, and if I'm living on borrowed time
I won't worry even if my time is limited
I'm gonna keep on the way I'm going
I will continue in the same manner
For every crime, there's retribution
Every crime has its consequences
And every valley has a mountainside
There is always a way out of a difficult situation
No, I don't like to trade just to be happy
I don't believe in making compromises just to be happy
That kind of deal won't turn out right
Such deals are not guaranteed to be successful
See it ain't good to stare inside yourself too long
It's not productive to dwell on your thoughts too much
For every true thing there's one more lie
For every truth, there is a corresponding lie
But I won't worry 'cause if I'm living on borrowed time
I will not worry even if I don't have much time left
I'll just try to keep on the way I'm going
I will try to continue in the same way
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MICHAEL 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?