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.
Long Grey Mare
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got a long grey mare, she won't let me ride
She makes me brush her in the morning
Put her to bed every night
Long grey mare, why can't we be just like before
Long grey mare, why can't we be just like before
We used to ride so hard
Look at me grey mare, don't I feed you everyday
Look at me grey mare, don't I feed you everyday
When I dig you with my spur
You turn around the other way
The lyrics of the song Long Grey Mare by Fleetwood Mac speak of a man's relationship with his mare. The man claims to have a long grey mare that won't let him ride her. He has to brush her every morning and tuck her into bed every night. Since the man mentions brushing the horse every morning, it seems that he is taking care of her despite her difficult behavior of not allowing him to ride.
The man then asks the mare, "Why can't we be just like before?" indicating that things were different between them previously. He reminisces about the times when they used to ride so hard that they couldn't ride anymore. The man's request to return to how things were before suggests that their relationship has become strained in some way, causing the mare to become agitated and difficult to ride.
Lastly, the man pleads with the mare by asking if she is not fed every day and if he doesn't take care of her. But when he digs her with his spur, she turns around the other way, implying that the mare is not happy with the man or the situation they are in. The song overall speaks of a tumultuous relationship between a man and his horse, where the man struggles to regain the trust and affection of the animal.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a long grey mare, she won't let me ride
I have a horse that I cannot control.
She makes me brush her in the morning
I have to groom her every day.
Put her to bed every night
I have to take care of her every day and night.
Long grey mare, why can't we be just like before
Why can't we have the same relationship we had before?
We used to ride so hard
We used to have a strong and exciting connection.
Until we couldn't ride no more
Until we became too tired to continue.
Look at me grey mare, don't I feed you everyday
I take care of you and provide for you every day.
When I dig you with my spur
When I try to control you using my spurs.
You turn around the other way
You fight me and refuse to be controlled.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Peter Green
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@briannabush8354
I've got a long grey mare, she won't let me ride
I got a long grey mare, she won't let me ride
She makes me brush her in the morning
And put her to bed every night
Long grey mare, why can't we be just like before
Long grey mare, why can't we be just like before
We used to ride so hard
Until we just couldn't ride no more
[reak]
Look at me grey mare, don't I feed you everyday
Look at me grey mare, don't I feed you everyday
But when I dig you with my spud
You turn around the other way
@antonelloschiano5815
Stunning guitarist Peter......I saw him in concert in Rome in 2013...very fantastic man.....R.I.P. 🙏God Bless.....
@anthonymalivanek1827
Brilliant song but the lyrics will get you lynched today!!!! Beautiful Peter Green (before LSD)
@marklevesconte4336
Memories, perfect music. He was brilliant
@daviemcf
Fantastic album....RIP Peter Green.
@nickdokovski8583
My dad has had this as his ringtone since the 90s and still has it today.
@monicaionita-sf6md
RIP Peter Green❤
@tezhowes533
RIP Peter. First guitar player I ever worshipped.
@NorthDallasForty.
Rest In Peace Mate 💕💕💕🎸
@paddymulligan
RiP Bob Brunning. Fleetingly Fleetwood Mac's bass player
@anthonymalivanek1827
Yeah and great driving bass .....