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.
Revelation
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He had all the mountains, under his command
You know that he had all the cities, in his own two hands
Yes and he had control of the four winds
And of the hunger of starving man
And now we're passing on the reins
'Cause in my heart I can feel the change
'Cause things don't stay the same
Revelation, revelation
He controlled the brimstone, and eternal fire
Surrounds himself with downers, in the king of cold
You know that he had all the princes kissing his diamond ring
And I heard that he walled up, the door to summer
And cut the heart out of mister spring
And now we're passing on the reins
And in your heart you can feel a change
You know the lord of light is laughing
'Cause things don't stay the same
Revelation, revelation
Dream on, keep your eyes wide open
On a Sunday morning, with a voice that's cold
The future gives a warning of the fire that burns below
He puts his hands together, cause his faith is strong
And that's what you've been needing
Oh but it don't seem to last too long
'Cause now we're passing on the reins
And in your heart you can feel a change
You know the lord of light is laughing
'Cause things don't stay the same
Revelation, revelation
The lyrics of "Revelation" by Fleetwood Mac are heavy with religious imagery and language that conveys a message of change and empowerment. The song talks about a powerful figure who has control over everything, including the elements, the rulers of the land, and difficult circumstances. However, this figure is not meant to be revered, as he also causes suffering and blocks progress, symbolized by the "door to summer" that was walled up and the "heart" of Mister Spring that was cut out.
The lyrics celebrate the end of this reign and the arrival of change, which the singer can sense in their heart. The "lord of light," which likely refers to God, is laughing because things are changing, and this laughter is a sign of joy and hope. The singer urges listeners to keep their eyes open and follow their own path, as the future holds both warning and potential for growth.
Overall, the song speaks to the human struggle for freedom and agency over circumstances that may seem beyond our control. The lyrics suggest that while powerful forces may exist that seem to hold the reins, ultimately they cannot prevent change from happening.
Line by Line Meaning
He had all the rivers, under his power
He had full control over the course of action that flowed relentlessly
He had all the mountains, under his command
He had complete power and authority over the great peaks and cliffs
You know that he had all the cities, in his own two hands
He had ultimate control and possession of all the towns and metropolises
Yes and he had control of the four winds
He had influence and power over the direction and intensity of the wind in all directions
And of the hunger of starving man
He had the ability to manipulate or satisfy the craving and need for food, even when it is scarce
And now we're passing on the reins
We are now relinquishing control and the power shifts hands
'Cause in my heart I can feel the change
Because I sense a transformation or shift in my emotions or attitude
You know the lord of light is laughing
The creator or master of positivity is taking pleasure in the irony of change
'Cause things don't stay the same
Because nothing remains stagnant or fixed indefinitely
Revelation, revelation
An exciting or interesting discovery or disclosure of a previously unknown fact or truth
He controlled the brimstone, and eternal fire
He had absolute power and authority over the destructive and deadly flames and smoke
Surrounds himself with downers, in the king of cold
He isolates himself with negative people, and he is the ruler of the cold demeanor
You know that he had all the princes kissing his diamond ring
He had the influential and powerful following, who were trying to gain his favor by abasing or lauding him
And I heard that he walled up, the door to summer
He sealed off the entry into the time of sunshine, light, and warmth
And cut the heart out of mister spring
He removed the vitality, liveliness, and renewal of the time of rebirth and blossoming
Dream on, keep your eyes wide open
Dream and hold onto hope, but stay alert and cautious as well
On a Sunday morning, with a voice that's cold
In a moment of peacefulness or rest, there is a tone or demeanor that is apathetic or uncaring
The future gives a warning of the fire that burns below
The future gives an indication or signal about the hidden, intangible flames that are burning below the surface
He puts his hands together, cause his faith is strong
He clasps his hands due to his conviction and trust in his belief system
And that's what you've been needing
And that is what has been lacking or desired by you
Oh but it don't seem to last too long
However, it seems that this comfort or reassurance does not have an enduring duration
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Robert Lawrence Welch
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?