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 (1968β1972) 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 β 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 2018β19 An Evening with Fleetwood Mac tour.
On 28 May 2020 Neil Finn, featuring Nicks and McVie, with Campbell on guitar, released the song βFind Your Way Back Homeβ 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.
Man Of The World
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They say I'm a man of the world
I've flown across every tide
And I've seen lots of pretty girls
I guess I've got everything I need
I wouldn't ask for more
And there's no one I'd rather be
And I need a good woman
To make me feel like a good man should
I don't say I'm a good man
Oh, but I would be if I could
I could tell you about my life
And keep you amused I'm sure
About all the times I've cried
And how I don't want to be sad anymore
And how I wish I was in love
The song 'Man Of The World' by Fleetwood Mac is a melancholic and introspective reflection on the life of someone who has seen and experienced a lot, yet is left feeling unfulfilled and void of love. The opening lines, "Shall I tell you about my life, they say I'm a man of the world," suggest that the singer is a man who has traveled extensively and has experienced all that the world has to offer. However, despite all his experiences, he is left feeling empty and wishes he had never been born. The use of the word "they" implies that there are others who are observing and commenting on his life.
The next stanza, "And I need a good woman, to make me feel like a good man should, I don't say I'm a good man, oh, but I would be if I could," suggests that the singer's unfulfillment stems from a lack of love and companionship. The use of the phrase "a good woman" implies that he needs someone who can bring out the best in him and make him feel whole. The line, "I don't say I'm a good man, oh, but I would be if I could," suggests that the singer is aware of his shortcomings and wants to improve as a person.
The final stanza, "And how I wish I was in love" sums up the theme of the song - the singer's longing for love and the emptiness he feels without it. It's a poignant and relatable theme that many people can connect with. The song's melancholic tone and introspective lyrics make it a haunting and memorable piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Shall I tell you about my life
Would you like to know about my life experiences?
They say I'm a man of the world
People perceive me as someone who has travelled and experienced a lot
I've flown across every tide
I've travelled across different parts of the world
And I've seen lots of pretty girls
I've had the opportunity to meet many beautiful women
I guess I've got everything I need
I believe that I have all the material possessions and experiences that are important to me
I wouldn't ask for more
I am content with what I have and do not require any more material possessions or experiences
And there's no one I'd rather be
I am content with who I am as a person
But I just wish that I'd never been born
Despite my contentment, I have moments of despair and wish that I had never existed
And I need a good woman
I require a supportive and loving partner
To make me feel like a good man should
I believe that a good partner can bring out the best in me
I don't say I'm a good man
I do not claim to be a perfect or faultless person
Oh, but I would be if I could
However, I am open to self-improvement and becoming a better person
I could tell you about my life
I could share my life experiences with you
And keep you amused I'm sure
And I am confident that you would find them entertaining
About all the times I've cried
I could speak about the difficult and emotional moments of my life
And how I don't want to be sad anymore
And express my desire to move past those difficult moments and find happiness
And how I wish I was in love
And express my longing for a romantic relationship
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Peter Green
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrSirDrew
Lyrics
Shall I tell you about my life
They say I'm a man of the world
I've flown across every tide
And I've seen lots of pretty girls
I guess I've got everything I need
I wouldn't ask for more
And there's no one I'd rather be
But I just wish that I'd never been born
And I need a good woman
To make me feel like a good man should
I don't say I'm a good man
Oh, but I would be if I could
I could tell you about my life
And keep you amused I'm sure
About all the times I've cried
And how I don't want to be sad anymore
And how I wish I was in love
@marcclaydon6296
RIP Peter. Probably the most beautiful song ever written.
@RobinBibiMusic
Marc Claydon youβre right. RIP genius . Sleep easy xxx
@thesedreamsarefree
I was thinking that about another song a couple of hours ago and it now seems appropriate to this (Sand by Heart). Pete Green faded into obscurity but at his best was acknowledged by some of the great players as one of the finest. I agree this is a beautiful song, autobiographical and from the heart.
@mole1ok604
RIP Legend.
@RETROtoronto
Peter Green is sublime. Agreed, it's up there. ('He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' is another one)
@gavstott1
Such sad news. His music will last forever
@xiropigado
One of the saddest songs ever written, one of the greatest songs ever written, and the older i get, the more it effects me.
@Sortedman23
Itβs easily the finest of English blues tracks of all time : because itβs the truth !
@christinewilkinson2424
Beautifully said.
@williamparker1085
its the existentialist in you finally breaking the surface............