TBH, it's no surprise whatsoever that Fleetwood Mac is one of the world's best-selling bands of all time. Not only are many of their songs catchy AF, but the subject matter is also relatable for anyone who's ever been in love. From melancholy breakup tunes to uptempo jams about falling hard, they've covered it all — and while there are countless Fleetwood Mac lyrics about love, sex, and heartbreak worth learning by heart, some never fail to make you feel seen.
Perhaps what makes Fleetwood Mac's lyrics resonate so deeply is that the band members themselves were dealing with their own brutal relationship drama while churning out their chart-topping hits. Over the course of their career, their dynamic ebbed and flowed as they became entangled in scandalous love affairs with each other — which obvi provided ample inspiration from a songwriting standpoint.
Today, Fleetwood Mac has experienced a sudden resurgence in popularity (insert praise hands emoji) thanks to one viral TikTok video. In the clip, a potato farmer named Nathan Apodaca can be seen skateboarding and vibing TF out to their 1977 song "Dreams." The video was so joyful and wholesome that it garnered millions of views — and TikTok users around the world began posting their own recreations of it. Before long, "Dreams" hit Billboard's Top 10 chart for the first time since it was released nearly 43 years ago.
Between the distinctly raspy vocals of Miss Stevie Nicks, the husky harmonies of Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham's gorg guitar solos, and the haunting lyrics that explore every shade and season of love, Fleetwood Mac has proven time and again that their songs are timeless. Whether you're itching to skate down the street lip-syncing with a massive bottle of cran-raspberry juice in hand, or you want to belt your heart out right in your bedroom, here are some iconic lyrics to learn.
Have mercy, baby on a poor girl like me / You know I'm falling, falling, falling, at your feet.
In the mood for a feel-good love song? This bop centers around the feeling you get when you first start falling hard for someone and you're dying to hear those three little words.
Thunder only happens when it's rainin' / Players only love you when they're playin' ... When the rain washes you clean, you'll know.
It's easy to see why “Dreams” was the band's number one hit — this song, which is on their Grammy-winning album Rumours, is beautifully bittersweet and complex.
Remarkably, Nicks wrote this song in just 10 minutes. She told The Daily Mail in 2009 that after she gave the demo to Buckingham, who was her ex, he smiled — even though he was mad at her at the time.
"What was going on between us was sad — we were couples who couldn’t make it through," she explained to The Daily Mail. "But, as musicians, we still respected each other.”
Mirror in the sky, what is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life? ... Well, I've been afraid of changin' / 'Cause I've built my life around you.
Warning: this one's bound to hit you right in the feels. "Landslide" isn't just an intensely honest and vulnerable love song, it also delves into the challenges of learning to deal with change and grow after a relationship ends. When you're feeling low after a brutal breakup and finding it hard to move on, listen to Nicks' evocative lyrics for a much-needed lift.
Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me / I know I could've loved you / But you would not let me.
This song is reportedly about Nicks' perspective on her split from Buckingham — and the way she writes about romantic loss is so heartbreaking.
"We were in Maryland somewhere driving under a freeway sign that said Silver Spring, Maryland," Nicks said in Classic Albums of her inspiration for the song. "And I loved the name. 'Silver Springs' sounded like a pretty fabulous place to me. ‘You could be my silver springs. …’ That’s just a whole symbolic thing of what you could have been to me."
When you don't get the fairy-tale ending you were hoping for, this one should resonate strongly.
You only want me when I get over you / First you love me, then you get on down the line / But I don't mind.
This tune, which was penned by Buckingham, tells the story of someone who can't get their love interest to fully commit to them, and all the heartache that comes with that situation.
I don't want no damage / But how am I gonna manage with you / You hold the percentage / But I'm the fool payin' the dues.
Apparently, this upbeat bop was inspired by Christine McVie's relationship with Dennis Wilson, the drummer for The Beach Boys — who she dated after breaking up with Fleetwood Mac bass player John McVie. The lyrics are about that longing for closeness you feel when you're starting a new relationship and need to set certain expectations in order for it to be fulfilling. Do yourself a favor and scope out the epic music video for this one, which was filmed in the Mojave desert and features Nicks strutting across the sand in red platform boots. (*Bows down.*)
You can take me to paradise / And then again you can be as cold ice / I'm over my head / But it sure feels nice.
It's widely believed that Christine wrote this one about her troubled marriage to John (who was still Fleetwood Mac's bassist at the time). The song is incredibly complex — it perfectly captures how conflicting it can feel to be in love with someone who gives you mixed signals.
Be careful what you love / Be careful what you need / Be careful what you say / Be careful who you please ... Love, love, love / Love is dangerous.
The title of this rock duet says it all — it serves as an important warning to be mindful of who you give your heart to.
Would you love me tomorrow / Like you say you love me now? / When the flames of our flesh have stopped burning / And the fire of our love has cooled down ... Too many times I've given too much / Baby, give me your love to me in return / But please don't leave me with a love that burns.
This bluesy ballad happens to be one of my personal favorites — the brooding electric guitar really supports the message of the song, which touches on the fear of being hurt down the line, and the need for someone to meet you half-way when you're investing in a relationship.
Now you are here today / But easily you might just go away / 'Cause we live in a time / When paintings have no color, words don't rhyme / And that's why I've traveled far / 'Cause I come so together where you are.
Singer-guitarist Bob Welch, who wrote this tune, has said that it's about his first wife, Nancy — and it really digs into the anxiety that comes with knowing someone you're falling for could easily leave at any moment.
And I wish you all the love in the world / But most of all, I wish it from myself.
You might recognize this ballad from the beautiful cover performance on Glee. The arrangement is super simple — mainly just piano and the vocal — but it's incredibly powerful regardless. In fact, I challenge you not to cry after listening to the moving lyrics.
"When Christine played ‘Songbird,’ grown men would weep," John McVie once said, according to Rolling Stone. "I did every night."
No more broken hearts / We're better off apart / Let's give it a try / Tell me, tell me, tell me lies ... Tell me sweet little lies.
This ultra-catchy single was written by Christine, who had just married her then-husband Eddy Quintela. She once said of its meaning, "The idea of the lyric is: If I had the chance, I'd do it differently next time. But since I can't, just carry on lying to me and I'll believe, even though I know you're lying."
Fun fact: Hilary Duff produced a dubstep cover of this tune, which was featured in the TV series Younger.
Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise / Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies. And if, you don't love me now / You will never love me again / I can still hear you saying / You would never break the chain.
This absolute banger is one of the few Fleetwood Mac works that was written in collaboration by the entire band. The lyrics and music work in tandem to capture that tense point in a relationship when you have to decide whether or not you're going to stick it out despite tests and trials.
