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.
Second Hand News
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone has taken my place
When times go bad
When times go rough
Won't you lay me down in tall grass
And let me do my stuff
I know I got nothin' on you
When times go bad
And you can't get enough
Won't you lay me down in the tall grass
And let me do my stuff
One thing I think you should know
I ain't gonna miss you when you go
Been down so long
I've been tossed around enough
Aww, couldn't you just
Let me go down and do my stuff
I know you're hopin' to find
Someone who's gonna give you peace of mind
When times go bad
When times go rough
Won't you lay me down in the tall grass
And let me do my stuff
Do it, do it, do it
I'm just second hand news
I'm just second hand news, yeah
I'm just second hand news
I'm just second hand news, yeah
I'm just second hand news
I'm just second hand news, yeah
I'm just second hand news
I'm just second hand news, yeah
Yeah
The lyrics to Fleetwood Mac's "Second Hand News" are a collection of pleas for freedom and independence, and a declaration of indifference towards someone who doesn't reciprocate those feelings. The first verse talks about someone taking the singer's place, which could refer to a lover leaving or a band member being replaced. The singer then asks to be laid down in tall grass so they can do their own thing, indicating a desire for time and space to themselves. The second verse repeats this sentiment, but also acknowledges that there is nothing left to do because the relationship has soured.
The third verse is the most pointed, with the singer saying that they won't miss the person when they leave. They have been "tossed around enough" and just want to "do their stuff." This is followed by a chorus where the singer refers to themselves as "second hand news," acknowledging that they are not the main attraction and are easily replaced. The final verse addresses the person directly, saying they are hoping to find someone else who will give them peace of mind, and once again asking to be left alone in the "tall grass."
All in all, the song seems to be a plea for independence and freedom from a situation that has become suffocating. The singer wants to be left alone to do their own thing, and doesn't care if it means being replaced or forgotten.
Line by Line Meaning
I know there's nothin' to say
I understand that there's nothing left to discuss
Someone has taken my place
Another person has replaced me in your life
When times go bad
During difficult circumstances
When times go rough
During trying situations
Won't you lay me down in tall grass
Can you place me in a peaceful environment
And let me do my stuff
So I can focus on my own interests
I know I got nothin' on you
I recognize that you are superior to me
I know there's nothin' to do
I realize that there's no solution to our situation
And you can't get enough
When you feel that you need more from life
One thing I think you should know
I want to tell you something important
I ain't gonna miss you when you go
I won't feel any sense of loss when you leave
Been down so long
I have experienced hardships for a long period of time
I've been tossed around enough
I've suffered enough
Aww, couldn't you just
Can you please
Let me go down and do my stuff
Give me the chance to pursue my own interests
I know you're hopin' to find
I understand that you're searching for
Someone who's gonna give you peace of mind
A person who will provide you with comfort and assurance
Do it, do it, do it
Go ahead and take action
I'm just second hand news
I'm not important or relevant anymore
I'm just second hand news, yeah
I'm not worthy of attention or concern
Yeah
An expression of agreement or acknowledgement
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?