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.
What's the World Coming To
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What they say isn't true
You can't plant no seed
Where there's only greed
I can walk anywhere
I can walk anytime
But the lone highway
Is the only way
What's the world coming to?
What's the world coming to?
Everyone's gone to the moon
What's the world coming to?
Every night every day
In this house filled with shame
I can say I care
But there's no one there
There's no truth in my lies
There's no light in my eyes
And it's all I guess
That I'll ever miss
What's the world coming to?
What's the world coming to?
Everyone's gone to the moon
What's the world coming to?
I can jump right off fall right into the ocean
I can come right out mean just what I say
But if I don't call for a reservation
They'll just turn me down, turn me inside out
I don't say what they want
I don't want what they say
So I'm on their list
So I'm gone I guess
What's the world coming to?
What's the world coming to?
Everyone's gone to the moon
What's the world coming to?
What's the world coming to?
What's the world coming to?
Everyone's gone to the moon
What's the world coming to?
Fleetwood Mac's song "What's the World Coming To" is a melancholic reflection on the state of society. The opening line, "What's the world coming to?" sets the tone for the song, expressing a sense of confusion and disillusionment at the current state of affairs. The next line, "What they say isn't true," suggests that the singer has lost faith in the people who are meant to be leading the world.
The lyrics then turn to the idea that despite the potential for growth and prosperity, greed has taken over and made it impossible to "plant no seed." The singer then reflects on their personal life, confessing that there is shame and loneliness behind closed doors despite being able to put on a front of caring.
The final lines descend into a sense of hopelessness as the singer acknowledges that they don't fit into society's norms and, as a result, seem to be ostracized. The repetitive line of "Everyone's gone to the moon" emphasizes a sense that the world has lost touch with what's important, and everyone is just blindly following what's trendy or popular.
Overall, "What's the World Coming To" is a mournful reflection on society at large and the personal struggles that come with trying to find your place in it.
Line by Line Meaning
What's the world coming to?
Expressing concern about the state of the world and what it has become.
What they say isn't true
People are spreading lies and misinformation that are not based on facts.
You can't plant no seed
It is impossible to grow something and create change in an environment dominated by selfishness and corruption.
Where there's only greed
Greed is the root of many problems in the world and it prevents progress and harmony.
I can walk anywhere
Despite the chaos and uncertainty, there is still freedom of movement and choice.
I can walk anytime
The possibility of change is always present, and one can take action at any time, regardless of the current situation.
But the lone highway
The journey toward a better future can be a solitary and difficult one, but it is still worth taking.
Is the only way
Making progress requires taking responsibility for oneself and taking action, even if it means going against the status quo.
Everyone's gone to the moon
Metaphorically, people have lost their way and are pursuing unrealistic and unachievable goals that do not align with reality.
Every night every day
The struggle to make sense of the world and find meaning in it is a constant one.
In this house filled with shame
The singer's surroundings are tainted with negativity and dishonor.
I can say I care
Despite the difficult circumstances, the artist still feels empathy and concern for others.
But there's no one there
The singer's words fall on deaf ears and there is no one around to listen or care.
There's no truth in my lies
The singer is aware that their attempts to hide the truth are futile and that honesty is the only way forward.
There's no light in my eyes
The singer is experiencing a sense of despair and hopelessness.
And it's all I guess
The artist is resigned to the fact that this is their reality and that they must accept it.
That I'll ever miss
The artist does not have high hopes for the future and feels that this is as good as it will ever get.
I can jump right off fall right into the ocean
The singer is considering taking drastic action, even if it means risking their life.
I can come right out mean just what I say
The singer is unafraid of speaking their mind and expressing their true feelings, even if it means being unpopular.
But if I don't call for a reservation
The artist is aware that they must follow social norms and expectations in order to be accepted.
They'll just turn me down, turn me inside out
If the artist does not conform, they will be rejected and ostracized.
I don't say what they want
The artist refuses to compromise their beliefs and values in order to fit in with others.
I don't want what they say
The singer does not agree with the mainstream ideology and refuses to conform to it.
So I'm on their list
The artist is seen as an outsider and not part of the mainstream group.
So I'm gone I guess
The singer feels that they are not valued or accepted and that they do not belong in this world.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Lindsey Buckingham, Julian Raymond
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?