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]
Ghosts
Stevie Nicks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There were many nights
And a few of them, were all that you had dreamed of
Love was the thing
And you feel as if someone was following you
But you know you are wrong
It's just the ghost of what you want to be
And the ghost of the past that you live in
It's just the ghost of what you really want
And it's the ghost of the past that you live in
And it's the ghost of the future you are frightened of
So you look to your guardian angel
So long ago I was an innocent
It had nothing to do with age
One day they were lovers one day they were friends
There was nothing else to say
Well just the ghost of what you want to be
And the ghost of the past that you live in
It's the ghost of the future that you're so frightened of
So you turn to your guardian angel
And a few of them were all that you really dreamed of
Love was the thing
So the silver-haired girl looks for escapism
To feel the empty spaces she's feeling
She depends on her music like a husband
And she knows it's no good to fall in love again
One day they were lovers one day they were friends
There was nothing else to say
It's just the ghost of the past of what you want to be
And the ghost of the past that you live in
Ghost of the future that you're so frightened of
So you look to your guardian
So you look to your guardian angel
Some of them are here on earth
Well some of them are way up there in heaven
So you look to your guardian angel
Some of them are here on earth
Some of them are way up there in heaven heaven
The lyrics to Stevie Nicks's song Ghosts speak about the haunting memories of past relationships and experiences. The opening lines of the song mention the rain which is usually a symbol of sadness or melancholy. The second stanza uses "love" as the singer of the song which is what the singer wants. However, there is a fear and uncertainty in the song's lyrics as the "ghost of the past" or the "ghost of the future" haunts the singer. She looks for escapism through music and feels as if there are empty spaces in her life that she is trying to fill. The song is about the continuous journey of self-discovery, healing, and moving on from painful experiences.
The line "And the rain was there" was taken from a poem that Stevie Nicks wrote before she wrote the song.
The chorus of the song, "So you look to your guardian angel," was taken from a conversation that Stevie had with her mother.
The song was inspired by a dream that Stevie Nicks had about her former love, Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh.
Ghosts was one of the songs Stevie Nicks recorded for her 1982 album, The Wild Heart.
Tom Petty played guitar on the song.
The song's melody is based on a demo Nicks recorded in 1979.
The song was produced by Jimmy Iovine.
The song has been covered by several artists including the Dixie Chicks and the Indigo Girls.
Ghosts peaked at No. 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Nicks has said that the song is about "the fear of love and the fear of the future."
Chords (source: Ultimate Guitar)
Verse: Em C G D
Chorus: Em C D
Bridge: G C D
Line by Line Meaning
And the rain was there
It was a melancholic and gloomy atmosphere
There were many nights
A long period of time had passed by
And a few of them, were all that you had dreamed of
There were only a few moments that met your expectations
Love was the thing
Love was the focal point
And you feel as if someone was following you
You have an unshakeable feeling of being watched
But you know you are wrong
You realize your fear is irrational
It's just the ghost of what you want to be
Your longing for something else that is currently unattainable
And the ghost of the past that you live in
Your past experiences continue to haunt you
It's just the ghost of what you really want
You desire something that is unattainable
And it's the ghost of the future you are frightened of
You are afraid of what is yet to come
So you look to your guardian angel
You seek guidance and comfort
So long ago I was an innocent
A time in the past when you were pure and naive
It had nothing to do with age
Your innocence was not defined by your age
One day they were lovers one day they were friends
A relationship that had no clear direction
There was nothing else to say
There was no resolution or closure
So the silver-haired girl looks for escapism
Looking for a way to avoid or ignore reality
To feel the empty spaces she's feeling
To fill the void left by something missing
She depends on her music like a husband
Music is a constant presence in her life
And she knows it's no good to fall in love again
She learned from past experiences and avoids making the same mistake
It's just the ghost of the past of what you want to be
Your longing for something else that is currently unattainable
Ghost of the future that you're so frightened of
You are afraid of what is yet to come
So you look to your guardian angel
You seek guidance and comfort
Some of them are here on earth
Some guardian angels are present in your life
Some of them are way up there in heaven heaven
Some guardian angels have passed away
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Michael W Campbell, Stevie Nicks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind