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.
Planets Of The Universe
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Earth and the sea and the sky
Is at rest with the ocean
And the days go by
They go into the seas that have no shores
Haunted by that same closed door
Looking up at skies on fire
Leaving nothing left of us
And the planets of the universe, go their way
Not astounded by the sun or the moon, or by the day
You and I will simply disappear, out of sight
But I'm afraid soon there'll be, no light
No doubt, no pain
Come ever again, well
Let there be light in this lifetime
In the cool, silent moments of the nighttime
And the planets of the universe, go their way
Not astounded by the sun or the moon, or by the day
We will never change again, the way that we are changing
Well, you'll forget the chill of love but not the strain
Now I know
Well, I was wrong
To live for a dream
If I had my life to live over
I would never dream, no
I still wish you gone
And I will live alone
Yes, I will live alone
And the planets of the universe, go their way
Not astounded by the sun or the moon, or by the day
You and I will simply disappear, out of sight
But I'm afraid soon there'll be, no light
You will never love again the way you love me
You will never rule again the way you ruled me
You will never change again the way you're changing
You will never rule again the way you ruled me...
The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's song Planets Of The Universe describe the passage of time and the ephemerality of life, using powerful images of lights and planets to evoke feelings of transience and impermanence. The opening line of the song, "The bright light is lying down," sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics, as if the light is a person, quietly resting in the comfort of the universe. The following lines, "Earth and the sea and the sky is at rest with the ocean / And the days go by," suggest a sense of peacefulness and continuity, as life continues undisturbed by human intervention. However, the next line, "They go into the seas that have no shores / Haunted by that same closed door," hints at a feeling of yearning or unfulfilled desires, as if the ocean symbolizes an unattainable fantasy, always just out of reach.
The chorus of the song brings in the theme of celestial bodies, as the planets in the universe "go their way / Not astounded by the sun or the moon, or by the day." This lyric implies that the world keeps turning, no matter what happens in our individual lives. The final lines of the song bring the theme full circle, as the singer reflects on the passage of time and the mistakes they've made in life, wishing for a chance to do things differently. The words "You will never love again the way you love me / You will never rule again the way you ruled me / You will never change again the way you're changing" suggest a feeling of regret and nostalgia for the fleeting moments of joy and power that we experience in life.
Overall, Planets Of The Universe is a powerful song that explores universal themes of love, loss, and the passage of time. Through the use of vivid imagery and thoughtful lyrics, the song conveys a sense of hope and resilience in the face of life's many challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
The bright light is lying down
The sun has set and darkness has fallen upon the earth.
Earth and the sea and the sky
All of nature - land, sea, and air are at peace and rested.
Is at rest with the ocean
The calmness of the sea brings peace to the land, and all are still.
And the days go by
Time passes, and life continues in the same way it always has.
They go into the seas that have no shores
The passing of time is endless and infinite, just as the sea appears to have no horizon or end.
Haunted by that same closed door
We are forever troubled by the unknown of what lies beyond that door, within ourselves and the world around us.
Looking up at skies on fire
The beauty of a sunset can feel like the sky is ablaze with fiery colors, leaving us in awe and wonder.
Leaving nothing left of us
The passage of time will eventually erase all evidence of our existence.
To discover
There is always something new and unknown to be found in the world around us.
And the planets of the universe, go their way
The celestial bodies carry on their course through space, unaffected by human emotions or desires.
Not astounded by the sun or the moon, or by the day
The planets don't stop to admire the beauty of the sun, moon, or daily events as humans do.
You and I will simply disappear, out of sight
Eventually, we will all die and fade into obscurity, forgotten by the world.
But I'm afraid soon there'll be, no light
We should be wary of what may come in the future, as it may bring darkness and uncertainty.
No doubt, no pain
Life without uncertainty or pain would be ideal.
Come ever again, well
But the idea of such a life is likely just a dream.
Let there be light in this lifetime
We should strive to make the most of the time we have, and bring light into our own lives.
In the cool, silent moments of the nighttime
These quiet moments are when we can reflect on life and appreciate its beauty.
We will never change again, the way that we are changing
We can't predict the future and whether change will come, but we should appreciate the present moment.
Well, you'll forget the chill of love but not the strain
Even when the initial excitement of love fades, there can still be a sense of effort or strain in a relationship.
Now I know
The artist has gained insight or wisdom from their experiences.
Well, I was wrong
The artist has realized that they were mistaken about something.
To live for a dream
The artist has come to the realization that it's not wise to devote oneself entirely to a dream.
If I had my life to live over
The singer is contemplating the mistakes they've made in their life and what they would change if they could go back in time.
I would never dream, no
The artist would prefer to focus on living their life in reality rather than chasing dreams.
I still wish you gone
The singer has negative feelings towards someone in their life, and wishes they could be rid of them.
And I will live alone
The singer has decided that they would prefer to live alone, without the presence of others.
You will never love again the way you love me
The singer is telling someone that they will never find love again that is as intense and meaningful as what they had together.
You will never rule again the way you ruled me
The artist is saying that someone who had control over them will never have that control or power over them again.
You will never change again the way you're changing
Even if someone changes, they won't change in the same way they did when they were with the artist.
Contributed by Max A. 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?