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.
Red Rover
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know it just brings you down
It's just something you could touch
You don't belong here, I guess you never did
Whisper "Look up" in your ear
You just keep it so well hid
Could see what was missin'
Could see you were dyin'
But no one was cryin'
And I did hear what you said
Now I can go home
All my days are blue
All days bright
Red rover, red rover, red rover
We come, we come, we come, we come
To take you over (ahh)
Take you over (ahh)
Red rover (ahh)
Take you over (ahh)
One of the quiet ones, one of the few
Now fall down onto your knees
Show us all what you can do
We came around here
To see if you were well
And there's nothing for you to fear
In heaven or in hell
Anyone at all
Could see what was missin'
Could see you were dyin'
But no one was cryin'
And I did hear what you said
Now time to drive home
All my days are blue
All days bright
Red rover, red rover, red rover
We come, we come, we come, we come
To take you over (ahh)
Take you over (ahh)
Red rover (ahh)
Take you over (ahh)
Red rover (ahh)
Take you over (ahh)
Red rover (ahh)
Take you over (ahh)
The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's song Red Rover appear to be addressing someone who keeps coming around, but the singer suggests that they don't belong there and are only being brought down. The singer mentions that it's something that can be touched, implying that the person they are speaking to is physically present but not necessarily a welcome addition. It becomes clear that the person in question is struggling, as the lyrics mention that anyone could see what was missing and that the person was dying. However, no one was crying.
In the chorus, the song urges, "Red Rover, Red Rover, Red Rover, we come to take you over." It's unclear whether this is meant to be taken literally or figuratively. However, the subsequent lines suggest that the singer and their group have come to help the person they are speaking to, to see if they are well and that there is nothing to fear in heaven or hell.
Overall, the lyrics to Red Rover appear to be about supporting someone who is struggling but is hesitant to ask for help. The chorus suggests that the singer and their group are coming to "take over" the situation, which could be interpreted as taking control and providing support.
Line by Line Meaning
Why do you come around
So very much
The singer wonders why the person keeps coming around so often.
You know it just brings you down
It's just something you can touch
The singer acknowledges that the person's presence is bringing them down, but also recognizes that it's a tangible thing.
You don't belong here
I guess you never did
Whisper, look up, in your ear
You just keep it so well hid
The singer realizes that the person never truly belonged and kept their true feelings hidden from everyone.
Anyone at all
Could see what was missin'
Could see you were dyin'
But no one was cryin'
People could see that something was wrong with the person, but no one was expressing any sadness about it.
And I did hear what you said
Now I can go home
All my days are blue
All my days are bright
The singer finally understands what the person was saying, and now they feel both melancholy and happy.
Red Rover, Red Rover, Red Rover
We come, we come, we come, we come
To take you over (ah)
Take you over (ah)
Red rover (ah)
Take you over (ah)
The repetition of "Red Rover, Red Rover, Red Rover" represents change and transformation, as something new is taking over.
One of the quiet ones
One of the few
Now fall down onto your knees
Show us all what you can do
The person was often quiet and enigmatic, but now they have the chance to reveal their true self.
We came around here
To see if you were well
And there's nothing for you to fear
In Heaven or in Hell
The group came to check on the person's well-being and reassure them that they have nothing to fear in the afterlife.
And I did hear what you said
Now time to drive home
All my days are blue
All days bright
Similar to the first occurrence of this verse, the singer expresses their emotional duality after finally understanding the person's words.
Red Rover, Red Rover, Red Rover
We come, we come, we come, we come
To take you over (ah)
Take you over (ah)
Red rover (ah)
Take you over (ah)
Red rover (ah)
Take you over (ah)
Red rover (ah)
Take you over (ah)
The repetition of the chorus reaffirms the transformative nature of the song - something new is taking over.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Lindsey Buckingham
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?