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.
Sooner or Later
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In my heart and in my mind
And look towards the future
Leaving the past behind
Well maybe it's the season
That season of the year
Defying all my reason
I just want you to be here
Sooner or later
Sooner or later I'll forget, ooh
I want you to be here
Sooner or later
Sooner or later I'll forget, ooh
And though it's not the first time
I've thought of you this way
The darkness of the winter
Keeps my happiness at bay
It's easy to forget you
In the summer, in the light
With the days of lazy laughter
And sweet, sweet dreams in the night
Sweet dreams in the night
Sooner or later
Sooner or later I'll forget, ooh
Sweet dreams in the night
Sooner or later
Sooner or later I'll forget, ooh
Ooh, ooh
So all I really mean is
When all is said and all is done (ooh)
It's all because of you babe
That I am the lucky one (ooh)
I am the lucky one
Sooner or later
Sooner or later I'll forget, ooh
I am the lucky one
Sooner or later
Sooner or later I'll forget, ooh
I am the lucky one
Sooner or later
Sooner or later I'll forget, ooh
Yes, I am the lucky one
Sooner or later
Sooner or later I'll forget, ooh
The lyrics to Fleetwood Mac's song Sooner or Later are about the struggle of moving on from a past relationship. The singer thought that they had let their former partner go, but as they approach winter, they begin to reminisce and desire their ex-lover's presence again. However, the singer acknowledges that forgetting their ex is inevitable, as time goes on. The lyrics oscillate between the desire to have their ex back and the recognition that moving on is the only option for them.
The first verse sets the scene for the rest of the song, depicting the singer's internal struggle. They want to move forward and leave their ex behind, but some part of them still yearns for the past. The chorus repeats "sooner or later I'll forget" which indicates the inevitability of forgetting their ex-lover. The second verse explains how much easier it is to forget them in the summer, but the darkness of winter keeps the singer's mind trapped. The pre-chorus reveals that the singer is acknowledging their ex's role in their life, even though they are not together anymore. The final verse affirms the singer's gratitude towards their ex-lover for contributing to their life in some way, even though they are no longer together.
Overall, the lyrics to Sooner or Later are a complex depiction of the internal struggle that arises when trying to move on from a relationship. The singer desires their ex back, but also recognizes that forgetting them is crucial for their own happiness and progress.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I'd let you go
I had convinced myself that I had moved on from you
In my heart and in my mind
But deep down, I still have feelings for you that I can't shake
And look towards the future
I want to focus on what's ahead of me instead of dwelling on the past
Leaving the past behind
I need to let go of the memories and emotions that are holding me back
Well maybe it's the season
But sometimes I can't help but feel nostalgic and long for what was lost
That season of the year
The different seasons can bring back certain memories and emotions
Defying all my reason
Despite my rational and logical thinking, my heart still wants you
I just want you to be here
All I really desire is to be with you again
Sooner or later
Eventually, at some point in the future
Sooner or later I'll forget, ooh
I'll be able to move on and forget about you
And though it's not the first time
I've had thoughts like this before
The darkness of the winter
The bleakness of the season adds to the feelings of loneliness and sadness
Keeps my happiness at bay
It's hard to be happy when everything around me is so gloomy
It's easy to forget you
During the warmer, happier months, it's easier to move on
In the summer, in the light
When the sun is shining and everything is bright and lively
With the days of lazy laughter
When there are carefree, happy moments with friends and family
And sweet, sweet dreams in the night
When I can escape into my dreams and feel happy again
So all I really mean is
What I'm trying to say is
When all is said and all is done (ooh)
After everything is over and settled
It's all because of you babe
I owe everything to you
That I am the lucky one (ooh)
You brought me so much happiness and luck in my life
I am the lucky one
I feel grateful for all that you've done for me
Yes, I am the lucky one
I am truly fortunate to have had you in my life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Christine McVie, Eddy Quintela Mendonca
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?