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.
One Together
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
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When you can fill me with a love that's true
But I can't help but sigh
And sometimes wonder why
What can I do
I want to see you more and more each day
I really need you, you're my only way
But still I wonder how
What can I say
I've dreamed a thousand dreams
And cried so many tears
'Cause when you're not in my heart it seems
Like I've wasted all my years
Someday together we will fly to the sun
And then we'll think of all the things we've done
Everyone will smile
Happy all the while
Now that we're one
I've dreamed a thousand dreams
And cried so many tears
When you're not in my heart it seems
Like I've wasted all my years
Someday together we will fly to the sun
And then we'll think of all the things we've done
Everyone will smile
Happy all the while
Now that we're one
The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's One Together speak about a love that is true and strong, yet at the same time, it is plagued with doubts and uncertainties. The singer expresses their need for their beloved and their desire to see them more every day, but at the same time, they question the stability of the relationship, wondering what they can do to make it work. The lyrics also depict the melancholy and emptiness that the singer feels when they are not with their loved one, leading them to think that they have wasted their years without them. However, the song ends on an optimistic note, with the hope that one day, they will both fly together to the sun, reminisce about everything they have done, and be happy knowing that they are one.
Line by Line Meaning
How can my heart be filled with doubts of you
Despite having doubts about you, my heart is filled with your true love
When you can fill me with a love that's true
You bring me true love, despite my lingering doubts
But I can't help but sigh
I still feel conflicted, even though your love is true
And sometimes wonder why
I question why I can't fully trust in our love
What can I do
I feel helpless in managing my doubts and worries
I want to see you more and more each day
My desire for you grows stronger with every passing day
I really need you, you're my only way
I rely on you completely and you're the only one who can fulfill my needs
You say it's alright now
Despite my doubts, you assure me that everything is okay
But still I wonder how
I can't help but wonder how we can overcome my doubts and maintain our love
What can I say
I struggle to find the right words to express my feelings
I've dreamed a thousand dreams
I've dreamt of a life with you countless times
And cried so many tears
I've shed many tears over the fear of losing you
'Cause when you're not in my heart it seems
Without you, my heart feels incomplete and my life lacks purpose
Like I've wasted all my years
In your absence, I feel like I've wasted precious time in my life
Someday together we will fly to the sun
One day, we'll reach our goals and be together without obstacles
And then we'll think of all the things we've done
We'll look back on our journey and be proud of everything we've accomplished
Everyone will smile
Our happiness will be contagious and bring joy to those around us
Happy all the while
Our happiness will last forever
Now that we're one
Now that we're united and our love is strong, nothing can hold us back
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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?