After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasing the album Buckingham Nicks to little success, Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, helping the band to become one of the best-selling music acts of all time with over 120 million records sold worldwide. Rumours, the band's second album with Nicks, became one of the best-selling albums worldwide, being certified 20× platinum in the US.[2]
In 1981, while remaining a member of Fleetwood Mac, Nicks began her solo career, releasing the studio album Bella Donna, which topped the Billboard 200 and has reached multiplatinum status.[3] She has released eight studio solo albums and seven studio albums with Fleetwood Mac, selling a certified total of 65 million copies in the US alone.[2]
After the release of her first solo album, Rolling Stone named her the "Reigning Queen of Rock and Roll".[4] Nicks was named one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time[5] and one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time[6] by Rolling Stone. Her Fleetwood Mac songs "Landslide", "Rhiannon", and "Dreams", with the last being the band's only number one hit in the US, together with her solo hit "Edge of Seventeen", have all been included in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[7] She is the first woman to have been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: first as a member of Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and then as a solo artist in 2019.[8]
Nicks has garnered eight Grammy Award[9] nominations and two American Music Award nominations as a solo artist. She has won numerous awards with Fleetwood Mac, including a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1978 for Rumours.
The albums Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, and Bella Donna have been included in the "Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums" chart by Billboard.[10] Furthermore, Rumours was rated the seventh-greatest album of all time in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time",[11] as well as the fourth-greatest album by female acts.[12]
After the Glitter Fades
Stevie Nicks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here in Hollywood
I never thought I'd ever
Want to stay
What I seem to touch these days
Has turned to gold
What I seem to want
Well you know I'll find a way
For me it's the only life
That I've ever known
And love is only one
Fine star away
Even though the living
Is sometimes laced with lies
It's alright
The feeling remains
Even after the glitter fades
The loneliness of a one night stand
Is hard to take
We all chase something
And maybe this is a dream
The timeless face of a rock and roll
Woman while her heart breaks
Oh you know the dream keeps coming
Even when you forget to feel
For me it's the only life
That I've ever known
And love is only one fine star away
Even though the living
Is sometimes laced with lies
It's alright
The feeling remains
Even after the glitter fades
For me it's the only life
That I've ever known
And love is only one fine star away
Even though the living
Is sometimes laced with lies
It's alright
The feeling remains
Even after the glitter fades
Oh you know the feeling remains
Even after the glitter fades
Oh the feeling remains
Even after the glitter
In “After the Glitter Fades”, Stevie Nicks reflects on her journey from a struggling artist to becoming a celebrated icon in Hollywood. She opens the song with the admission that she never thought she would make it in Hollywood and that she never thought she would want to stay. However, she finds that everything she touches now turns to gold, and she always finds a way to get what she wants. While the Hollywood lifestyle is often built on lies and deceit, Stevie is content with her life, and the feeling remains even after the glitter fades.
Throughout the song, Stevie hints that chasing dreams can be bittersweet, and the loneliness of a one-night stand can take a toll on even the most successful people. She acknowledges that the dream keeps coming, even when you forget to feel. The timeless face of a rock and roll woman is often juxtaposed with a breaking heart, proving that living a Hollywood dream does not make one invincible to heartbreak. Despite the highs and lows that come with living in Hollywood, Stevie is content with her life, and the feeling of happiness remains even when the glitter fades.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I never thought I'd make it
I never imagined I'd become successful in Hollywood
Here in Hollywood
This is where my career has brought me
I never thought I'd ever
I never expected to stay here so long
Want to stay
But now I've found a life here that I enjoy
What I seem to touch these days
Everything I do turns out well
Has turned to gold
I have achieved great success and wealth
What I seem to want
Whatever I desire
Well you know I'll find a way
I'll do whatever it takes to get what I want
For me it's the only life
This is the only lifestyle I've ever known
That I've ever known
I've been living this way for a long time
And love is only one
Finding love is the only thing missing from my life
Fine star away
It's so close yet so far
Even though the living
Despite the falsehoods and deceit in this industry
Is sometimes laced with lies
People often deceive and mislead in this business
It's alright
But I'm okay with it
The feeling remains
I still love the thrill of the life I lead
Even after the glitter fades
Even when the glamour and glitz of Hollywood life wears off
The loneliness of a one night stand
Feeling alone after a brief romantic encounter
Is hard to take
It's a painful experience
We all chase something
We all pursue something we desire
And maybe this is a dream
Maybe my Hollywood lifestyle is just a fantasy
The timeless face of a rock and roll
The unchanging image of a female rockstar
Woman while her heart breaks
Even while feeling pain and sadness
Oh you know the dream keeps coming
The fantasy and desire to be a successful musician never fades away
Even when you forget to feel
Even when you become desensitized or jaded by the industry
Oh the feeling remains
But the love and passion for music will always be there
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEVIE NICKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind