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]
Bella Donna
Stevie Nicks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know you won't fall
'Cause the whole thing's phoney.
You can fly swinging from your trapeze
Scaring all the people
But you'll never scare me
Bella Donna
No speed limit this is the fast lane
It's just the way that it is here
And you say I never thought it could
Bella Donna we fight
For the northern star
And the lady's feeling
Like the moon that she loved
Don't you know that the stars are
A part of us
And the lady's feeling
Just like the moon that she loved
And you say I never thought it could
Bella Donna
Come in out of the darkness
You are in love with
And I'm ready to sail
It's just a feeling
Sort of captures your soul
Bella Donna
And the woman may be awestruck
And the woman may truly care
But the woman is so tired
So the woman disappears
Come in out of the darkness
Bella Donna my soul
Don't change baby please don't change
And you say
And your face becomes thin
You never thought it could
Come in out of the darkness
Bella Donna
You are in love with
And I'm ready to sail
It's just a feeling
The song Bella Donna by Stevie Nicks is a passionate and beautifully crafted song about living life to the fullest despite the fakeness and limitations that society puts on us. The opening lyrics, "You can ride high atop your pony, I know you won't fall 'cause the whole thing's phoney" speak to the idea that society often puts on a facade of perfection, but in reality, it's all a lie. The singer of the song sees through the fake personas people put up and instead chooses to live life fearlessly, swing from trapezes and reach for the stars, fighting for the northern star regardless of what others may think or say. Bella Donna is a symbol of this fearless and unapologetic way of living that the singer embodies.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more introspective and speak to a sense of longing and loss. The singer compares herself to the moon that she loves but is no longer able to touch or be touched by. The woman in the song is in love with life, but is tired and disappearing, longing to come out of the darkness and fully embrace her soul. The final lyrics, "Don't change baby please don't change, and your face becomes thin. You never thought it could come in out of the darkness, Bella Donna" serve as a plea to hold onto the passion for life and not let society's expectations change the inherent nature of the singer's soul.
Line by Line Meaning
You can ride high atop your pony
You can act like you’re better than everyone else
I know you won't fall
I know you won’t mess up
'Cause the whole thing's phoney.
Because your actions are insincere
You can fly swinging from your trapeze
You can take risks and be daredevilish
Scaring all the people
Intimidating others
But you'll never scare me
But you won’t intimidate me
Bella Donna
Named after the poisonous plant, symbolizing feminine power and danger
And we fight for the northern star
And we strive and have ambition for greatness
No speed limit this is the fast lane
Life is moving fast with no limits
It's just the way that it is here
That’s just the way it is
And you say I never thought it could
You didn’t expect to feel this way
Bella Donna we fight
We focus on our goals
For the northern star
For achieving greatness
And the lady's feeling
The woman is feeling
Like the moon that she loved
Connected to something she loves
Don't you know that the stars are
A reminder that we are all connected
A part of us
A fundamental and important aspect of ourselves
Just like the moon that she loved
Connected to something she adores
Come in out of the darkness
Come out of your dark place or sadness
You are in love with
You are passionately in love with
And I'm ready to sail
I’m ready for change and adventure
Sort of captures your soul
A feeling that takes hold of you deeply
And the woman may be awestruck
The woman may be amazed
And the woman may truly care
The woman may genuinely care
But the woman is so tired
But the woman is exhausted
So the woman disappears
So she withdraws from the situation
Bella Donna my soul
Refers to the essence of her being
Don't change baby please don't change
Stay true to yourself, don’t change
And your face becomes thin
Your face looks gaunt
You never thought it could
You didn’t expect this outcome
Come in out of the darkness
Come out of your dark place or sadness
Bella Donna
Named after the poisonous plant, symbolizing feminine power and danger
You are in love with
You are passionately in love with
And I'm ready to sail
I’m ready for change and adventure
It's just a feeling
It’s just a sensation or sentiment
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEVIE NICKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind