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.
Open the Door
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to know the treasure you hide
Each and every night, I wonder about you
Love, open the door
Can’t you hear me cryin’?
I’m losing my mind
Can’t you hear me pleading?
Let yourself be mine
Let me see your little light shine
You know I want you to welcome me home
Love, open the door
Can’t you hear me cryin’?
I’m losing my mind
Can’t you hear me pleading?
Please hear me this time
Each and every night, I wonder about you
Love, open the door
Love, open the door
Love, open the door
In Fleetwood Mac's song "Open the Door," the lyrics revolve around the theme of love, longing, and desperation to be with someone. The singer in the song is yearning to uncover the hidden treasures within their lover's heart. They want to be let in and see the "little light" that shines within their partner. The repetition of the phrase "Love, open the door" throughout the song represents the singer's plea to their partner to let them in, physically and emotionally.
The use of the phrase "Can't you hear me crying?" portrays the desperation of the singer. They are not only physically reaching out ("Let yourself be mine"), but also emotionally reaching out with their plea for their partner to hear them. The emotional intensity of the song is further compounded by the repetition of the phrase "I'm losing my mind." The singer is deeply in love with this person and wants to be allowed into all aspects of their life.
Overall, "Open the Door" is a powerful song with captivating lyrics that speak to the universal theme of love and the desire to be with someone.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me see the sign
I want to see some indication that you want me to find the treasure you hide
I want to know the treasure you hide
I want to know your true feelings and desires
Each and every night, I wonder about you
You occupy my thoughts every night and I can't stop thinking about you
Love, open the door
Please let me in and show me your love
Can’t you hear me cryin’?
I am so desperate for your affection that I am crying for it
I’m losing my mind
My longing for your love is driving me insane
Can’t you hear me pleading?
Please listen to my petitions and show me some mercy
Please hear me this time
Please don't ignore my cries anymore
Let yourself be mine
Let us be together and share our love
Let me see your little light shine
Let me see your true personality and nature
You know I want you to welcome me home
You know I want to feel at home in your heart
Love, open the door
Please show me your love and let me in
Love, open the door
Please show me your love and let me in
Love, open the door
Please show me your love and let me in
Contributed by Keira G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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?