A Favorite Song: Silver Springs
I have many songs that are up there as favorites, but “Silver Springs” is definitely in my top ten.
Did you know that Silver Springs, written by Stevie Nicks, was originally rejected by Fleetwood Mac? It was cut from Rumour’s - Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 most well-known album. Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham confronted Stevie outside of the studio and told her they were going to scrap the infamous masterpiece. It happened to be about her breakup with Buckingham. A haunting song that she viewed as the greatest song she had ever written.
Fleetwood and Buckingham wanted to remove the song in order to make room on the album for “I Don’t Want to Know.” Though she also wrote this song, Nicks was much less fond of it and much less emotionally attached to it. The band had already started recording this track without her. This did not go over well with Nicks. She confronted her bandmates about making a final decision without her.
Her anger turned to tears and not much later a peace offering was created. The band decided to not get rid of “Silver Springs” entirely. They decided to move it to the B-side of the album’s very first single, “Go Your Own Way,” in which ironically Buckingham talks about the breakup as well.
When Rumours was released in 1977, it immediately solidified Fleetwood Mac as icons in the rock and roll world because of hit songs like “The Chain” and “Dreams.”
“Silver Springs” remained absent from the album for two decades. Stevie actually left Fleetwood Mac in 1990 after a fight with Mick over the rights to the song. They reunited in 1993 and in 1997 a live album, The Dance, was released with “Silver Springs” on it. It was live, it was raw and it was amazing,
Outside of the song’s extremely powerful lyrics, it has a captivating bewitching sound. When you watch The Dance video for “Silver Springs,” the connection between Nicks and Buckingham is undeniably and obviously intense. It’s chill-inducing. The looks, the sound, the intensity.
While performing “Silver Springs” for the audience, Nicks turns to Buckingham, locks eyes with him as he provided back-up vocals while playing guitar, and belted the chorus “I’ll follow you down ‘til the sound of my voice will haunt you…. Give me just a chance…. You’ll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you.” It’s a must-listen and a must-watch.
Their chemistry is undeniable. The audience was completely captivated. You will be as well.
Today, it’s all over TikTok. TikTok users are constantly uploading videos of this iconic performance.
We will never truly know the truth between them. All I do know is “Silver Springs” is iconically powerful and will always be a favorite of mine,