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.
Lay It All Down
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A story of old
About a man named Moses
Who lived long ago
He prophesied good
He prophesied bad
And now that prophecy's
Coming to pass
Let all your sons, and your daughters
Of the golden calf
Lay down your burden of sorrow
Lay down your burden of hurt
Lay it all down, for paradise here on earth
A whole lot of people, including myself
Thought the story of Moses was just a tall tale
But all of the things that we see going on
Are just what Moses set down
Let all your sons, and your daughters
Of the golden-yeah
Lay down your burden of sorrow
Lay down your burden of hurt
Lay it all down, for paradise here on earth
Let me retell
A story I know
About a man named Moses
Who lived long ago
He prophesied good
He prophesied bad
And now that prophecy's
Coming to pass
Let all your sons, and your daughters
Of the golden-yeah
Lay down your burden of sorrow
Lay down your burden of hurt
Lay down your burden of sorrow
Lay down your burden of hurt
Lay down your burden of sorrow
Lay down your burden of hurt
I just can't imagine a reason for sorrow
Just can't imagine the hurt
You've got to lay it down
You've got to lay it down
You've got to lay it down
You've got to lay it down
I said lay down your burden of sorrow
Lay down your burden of hurt
Lay down your burden of sorrow
There's just no reason to hurt
You've got to lay down your burden of sorrow
Lay down your burden of hurt
I said
Lay it all down, for paradise here on earth
The song "Lay It All Down" by Fleetwood Mac is a tribute to Moses, the biblical prophet who led the Jews out of Egypt. The song tells the story of Moses prophesying both good and bad things and how those prophecies are now coming to pass. The lyrics urge listeners to lay down their burdens of sorrow and hurt for the chance to achieve paradise on earth.
The first verse of the song sets the scene, introducing Moses as the central character. The second verse reflects on how people often dismiss the story of Moses as a tall tale, but highlights how events in the world are now reflecting the prophecies he made. However, the chorus is the most significant part of the song. It encourages listeners to let go of their burdens and move towards something better, an ultimate paradise on earth.
The song's message is not religious or biblical, but spiritual and universal. The idea of letting go of burdens and moving towards paradise is an aspirational idea that anyone can relate to. The song's laid-back, bluesy sound and reassuring lyrics make it a perfect song for listeners looking for comfort and motivation.
Overall, the song is about finding hope and comfort in difficult times, embracing spirituality, and striving towards something better.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me retell
Allow me to recount
A story of old
A tale from the past
About a man named Moses
Concerning an individual called Moses
Who lived long ago
Who resided in the distant past
He prophesied good
He foretold positivity
He prophesied bad
He predicted negativity
And now that prophecy's
And presently that prediction is
Coming to pass
Materializing into reality
Let all your sons, and your daughters
Allow all your male and female offspring
Of the golden calf
Associated with the golden calf
Lay down your burden of sorrow
Release the weight of your sadness
Lay down your burden of hurt
Surrender the weight of your pain
Lay it all down, for paradise here on earth
Relinquish everything, for utopia on earth
A whole lot of people, including myself
Numerous individuals, myself included
Thought the story of Moses was just a tall tale
Believed the Moses' tale was untrue
But all of the things that we see going on
However, everything that we observe
Are just what Moses set down
Are merely what Moses proclaimed
I just can't imagine a reason for sorrow
I cannot contemplate a cause for grief
Just can't imagine the hurt
Simply cannot envision the pain
You've got to lay it down
You must relinquish it
I said lay down your burden of sorrow
I repeated release the weight of your sadness
There's just no reason to hurt
There truly is no cause for pain
You've got to lay down your burden of sorrow
You must surrender the weight of your sadness
Lay down your burden of hurt
Release the weight of your pain
Lay it all down, for paradise here on earth
Relinquish everything, for utopia on earth
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Robert 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?