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 20Ć 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]
Free Fallin'
Stevie Nicks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Loves Jesus, and America too
She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend too
It's a long day livin' in?Reseda
There's a free-way runnin' through the yard
And I'm a bad boy, cause I don't even miss her
[Chorus]
And I'm free, I'm free fallin'
All the vampires walkin' through the valley
Move west down Ventura Blvd.
And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows
All the good girls are home with broken hearts
[Chorus]
I want to glide down over Mulholland
I want to write her name in the sky
I want to free fall out into nothin'
Gonna leave this world for awhile
[Chorus]
Stevie Nicks's song "Free Fallin'" is a poignant yet upbeat portrayal of a complex relationship. The opening lines describe the girl in question as someone who is deeply rooted in tradition and loves her family, religion, and her country. Her other interests include Elvis, horses, and her boyfriend. This paints her as an all-American, wholesome girl who is committed to her values but also enjoys a bit of nostalgia and romance. The next lines are sung by the singer (who could be the boyfriend), and he talks about the stark contrast between his life and hers. He lives in Reseda, which is a city in California that is not known for its glamour or wealth. The freeway runs through his yard, and he is portrayed as a bad boy who doesn't care for the life that he has left behind. He seems to be admitting to breaking the good girl's heart, but he is not remorseful. This juxtaposition of two lives is very common in American culture, where young people from different backgrounds often come together and face challenges in their relationships.
In the chorus, the singer repeats that he is "free fallin'", which could mean that he has finally let go of this good girl and is not tied down by his past. However, the phrase could also be interpreted negatively, as if he has lost control and is spiraling out of control. The next verse contains a vivid description of a street in California where all the vampires and bad boys are lurking in the shadows, and the good girls are at home with broken hearts. It is interesting to note that she replaces the typical association of vampires with being scary and dangerous, but here, she makes them out to be sympathetic characters, adding depth to the song. The final verse is where the singer expresses his desire to go out into the world and leave everything behind. He wants to soar over Mulholland Drive, which is a famous road in California popularized by movies and music videos. The line "I want to write her name in the sky" is particularly moving, as the singer is expressing his longing to connect with the good girl who he has left behind. In the end, however, he decides to leave his life behind and "free fall" into nothing, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for his untimely death.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a good girl, loves her mama
She is a nice girl who cares for her mother
Loves Jesus, and America too
She has love for both Jesus and her country
She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis
She loves Elvis a lot
Loves horses and her boyfriend too
She is fond of horses and also loves her boyfriend
It's a long day livin' in Reseda
Living in Reseda makes the day feel longer
There's a free-way runnin' through the yard
A highway passes through her yard
And I'm a bad boy, cause I don't even miss her
He is not sorry for leaving her
I'm a bad boy for breakin' her heart
He acknowledges that he broke her heart
And I'm free, I'm free fallin'
He feels liberated and free falling
All the vampires walkin' through the valley
The valley is filled with strange and mysterious people
Move west down Ventura Blvd.
They are moving towards the west on Ventura Boulevard
And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows
The bad boys are lurking in the shadows
All the good girls are home with broken hearts
The good girls are left with broken hearts
I want to glide down over Mulholland
He wants to fly over Mulholland
I want to write her name in the sky
He wants to write her name in the sky
I want to free fall out into nothin'
He wants to be free and fall into nothingness
Gonna leave this world for awhile
He wants to escape from the world for some time
And I'm free, I'm free fallin'
He repeats that he feels liberated and free falling
Lyrics Ā© Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeff Lynne, Thomas Earl Petty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CissyBrazil
Since I loved and admired Tom Petty, I was not expecting Stevie Nicks to do a good cover. I was wrong! She did a great cover! š
@JesseSmith-vn6uv
My favorite female artist ,love you Stevie. Seen her live in PA for my fifties birthday. Thank you Tina for that moment
@markschmidt7327
Love her voice
@hockeynut1372
Truly a gem , seen this beautiful lady 5 times , and the music melts the heart , A treasure indeed
@Countplato
If we're counting solo shows and Fleetwood Mac performnces, I've seen her 8 times now. I'm getting to that age (60) where I just can't stand up through a show anymore due to health issues, otherwise I'd continue going to her shows. I thought she also rocked it in AHS.
@moniquelevasseur7546
@@Countplato Sheās still amazing at 75,
@barronmaxxx2991
I love her "phraseology" the way she she punches words she wants the listener to recognize. ...all the BAD boys are standing in the SHADOWS...and the GOOD GIRLS...are HOME with BROKEN hearts...
@Countplato
Absolutely hauntingly beautiful. There will never be another Stevie Nicks.
@hazel43717
Have always loved Stevie's version (along with TPās), it's absolutely magical. Only the Honorary Heartbreaker herself could be handed such a classic and be trusted not to muck it up! :) <3
* Shawl Twirl *
@ImplodingSubmarine
Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks would've been a fantastic collaboration for this song.