ICONS: STEVIE NICKS
The story of the Fleetwood Mac album Rumours goes like this: both couples in the band – Christine and John McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham – are on the verge of breaking up. Mick Fleetwood, the band’s drummer and fifth wheel, has to deal with the tension. Lindsey writes angry, heavy songs about Stevie with lyrics that are spiteful, confused and passionate. She does the same thing in return and they have to harmonise, knowing full well the songs are directed at one another.
It's tense but emotions like tension make great art. Rumours is the fourth bestselling album of all time in the United States and with good reason.
During this era Stevie wrote the song Silver Springs, but it was cut from the album at the last minute. She was pissed – this had been the real, salt-in-the-open-wound ballad directed at Lindsey. Stevie later told The Arizona Republic that she had written the song to tell him, "I’m so angry with you. You will listen to me on the radio for the rest of your life, and it will bug you. I hope it bugs you."
Stevie Nicks is my lyrical guide. She wrote beautiful, image-heavy songs that stick right in your gut. She has a way of making her personal crises into timeless rock ’n' roll songs that everyone feels; her heartache is just like your heartache. She is vulnerable, but always comes out the triumphant one. Her ability to admit the seemingly weakest emotions, like sadness, jealousy or fear, is what ultimately empowers her.
I learned a lot from watching Stevie. Her words, once I really understood them, made me a stronger front person, a better lyricist and a smarter woman.
