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.
You and I Pt. II
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With my eyes shut tight
Hoping tomorrow will never come
For you (you) you (you) you and I
Oh, the phantoms
Crawl out of the night
Hoping the daylight will never come
Keep your heart open and your eyes shut tight
What will be, will be
Keep your heart open and your eyes shut tight
But don't forget about me
Oh, the phantoms
Crawl out of the night
Hoping tomorrow will never come
For you (you) you (you) you and I
Keep your heart open and your eyes shut tight
What will be, will be
Keep your heart open and your eyes shut tight
But don't forget about me
I wake up
With my eyes shut tight
Hoping tomorrow will never come
For you (you) you (you) you and I
Hoping tomorrow will never come
For you (you) you (you) you and I, for you (you) you (you) you and I
For you (you) you (you) you and I, for you (you) you (you) you and I
The lyrics to Fleetwood Mac's "You And I Pt. II" depict a sense of longing and vulnerability. The singer wakes up with their eyes shut tight, hoping that tomorrow will never come for both themselves and the person they are addressing in the song. The use of repetition, emphasizing "you (you) you (you) you and I," creates a strong connection between the two individuals. The phantoms mentioned in the song represent the fears and insecurities that come out at night, desperate for the daylight to never arrive.
The chorus encourages keeping the heart open but the eyes shut tight, suggesting a willingness to embrace what fate brings while also acknowledging the pain of separation. The line "what will be, will be" reflects a resignation to the uncertain nature of life. The singer longs for their counterpart not to forget about them, expressing a fear of being left behind or forgotten.
Overall, this song captures the bittersweet emotions of yearning for someone while accepting the possibility of change and loss. It touches on the complex dynamics of love, vulnerability, and the fear of being left alone.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up
I become aware of my surroundings
With my eyes shut tight
Keeping my eyes closed, avoiding facing reality
Hoping tomorrow will never come
Desiring that the future never arrives
For you (you) you (you) you (you) you and I
For both of us, together
Oh, the phantoms
The illusions or ghosts
Crawl out of the night
Emerging from the darkness
Hoping the daylight will never come
Wishing that the day never dawns
Keep your heart open and your eyes shut tight
Remain open-hearted but oblivious to reality
What will be, will be
Accept that fate is uncontrollable
But don't forget about me
Remember my presence and importance
Hoping tomorrow will never come
Desiring that the future never arrives
For you (you) you (you) you (you) you and I
For both of us, together
Keep your heart open and your eyes shut tight
Remain open-hearted but oblivious to reality
But don't forget about me
Remember my presence and importance
I wake up
I become aware of my surroundings
With my eyes shut tight
Keeping my eyes closed, avoiding facing reality
Hoping tomorrow will never come
Desiring that the future never arrives
For you (you) you (you) you (you) you and I
For both of us, together
Hoping tomorrow will never come
Desiring that the future never arrives
For you (you) you (you) you (you) you and I, for you (you) you (you) you (you) you and I
For both of us, together, for both of us, together
For you (you) you (you) you (you) you and I, for you (you) you (you) you (you) you and I
For both of us, together, for both of us, together
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Lindsey Buckingham, Christine Mcvie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anna Elizabeth Wade
Greatest Christmas single that never was...
Super Dave
it does have that half jingle bell/half-you're-on-a-peaceful-tropical-island kind of sound
Chris Hansen
Love this catchy melody! Great energy.
steve campbell
Not one of Fleetwood Macs most famous of songs but such lovely happy song it reminds of a beautiful summer morning.
john capstick
What a lovely obscure song🌈
Angela Porter
This song was going round my head this morning. Couldn't quite remember the lyrics, only about eyes shut tight when awake as that's how I felt today! Now I can sing it correctly in my head. Love it.❤️
Julie CP
This sounds like Christmas 🥰
Richard Walker
1 of Fleet wood macs best happy memories for me
Super Dave
I love this pic of the band!
Michael Kelly
Good music