Fleetwood Mac is a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fl… Read Full Bio ↴Fleetwood Mac is a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac was founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the lineup for their self-titled debut album. Danny Kirwan joined as a third guitarist in 1968. Keyboardist Christine Perfect (later known as Christine McVie), who contributed as a session musician from the second album, married McVie and joined in 1970.

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.

Talkin' to My Heart
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Written by billy burnette, deborah allen, and rafe vanhoy.
My heart is hanging on every word you say
Right now all logic's stripped away
It doesn't analyze your sincerity
It only listens and believes
Don't whisper
I love you
Unless you know it's true

Be careful what you're saying
You're talkin' to my heart
Oh be careful what you're saying
You're talkin' to my heart

Sometimes you want someone so bad you fantasize
Sometimes the heat of passion lies
It's only human to give in to what you feel
That doesn't always mean it's real
Don't mislead
Don't misread
The magic of the night

Be careful what you're saying
You're talkin' to my heart
Oh be careful what you're saying
You're talkin' to my heart

Think about it
Sometimes it's wise to wait
Think about it
Once spoken it's too late
Don't whisper
I love you
Unless you know it's true

Be careful what you're saying
You're talkin' to my heart

Oh be careful what you're saying
You're talkin' to my heart

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac's song "Talkin' to My Heart" are about the importance of being cautious with one's words when it comes to matters of the heart. The singer warns their lover to be careful with what they say because their heart hangs on every word they hear. They caution against lying or misleading with false declarations of love, warning that once spoken, it's too late. The lyrics suggest that even though it's natural to want someone, the heat of passion can sometimes make people believe things that aren't real. The singer asks their lover to take their time and think carefully about their words, especially when they say "I love you," making sure they're sincere before speaking.

The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and caution, acknowledging that the heart can be easily swayed by sweet nothings and false promises. The message is an important reminder that words hold power and that one should always consider the impact of their words before speaking them. The chorus repeats the warning to be careful because they're talking to the singer's heart. The song's structure is straightforward and relies heavily on the simplicity of the repeated melody, which highlights the lyrics' central message.

Line by Line Meaning

My heart is hanging on every word you say
I am eagerly listening to every word you say.

Right now all logic's stripped away
At this moment, I am not analyzing or thinking logically.

It doesn't analyze your sincerity
My heart does not question your sincerity.

It only listens and believes
My heart only listens to your words and believes what you say.

Don't whisper
Do not speak softly or secretly to me.

I love you
These three words that express deep affection.

Unless you know it's true
Unless you actually mean it.

Be careful what you're saying
Be cautious about what you're saying.

You're talkin' to my heart
You're speaking to my emotions.

Sometimes you want someone so bad you fantasize
Sometimes you desire someone so much, you begin to fantasize about them.

Sometimes the heat of passion lies
Sometimes intense feelings of attraction can be deceiving.