Silver Spring :: Fleetwood Mac

Last Wednesday I was able to go to see Fleetwood Mac at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. I feel like any review of I could write of the concert would fall short of how fantastic it was, so I think I'll just take this opportunity to share with you all my favorite Fleetwood Mac song. It was also the second encore and last song of the night: Silver Spring.

As with a lot of other classic rock bands, I never had much exposure to Fleetwood Mac besides hearing them on in the background at the bowling alley. I got my real introduction to this band through my job only about a year ago. I write the closed captioning for TV shows, and once in a while I get to do something awesome like a video of Fleetwood Mac's 1997 tour. While captioning it, I actually had to pay attention to their lyrics rather than just nod my head along to the songs I kind of knew, like the infectiously upbeat Don't Stop.

Listening to Silver Spring for the first time, I realized this band can jam so much into a six-minute song. It starts with the wistful tinkering on the piano before Stevie Nicks starts singing lyrics that evoke true disappointment in a failed romance. If that was all there was to the song, it would still be pretty, but kind of flat. Instead, there's also this strong, righteous anger that says "We could have been great together. How dare you dump me?"

This is the only breakup song that has ever made me sigh out loud but say quietly to myself, "I know exactly what you mean."

Silver Spring
You could be my silver spring
Blue green colors flashing
I would be your only dream
Your shining ocean crashing
And did you say she was pretty?
And did you say that she loves you?

Baby I don't want to know

I begin not to love you
Turn around, see me running
I say I loved you years ago
Tell myself you never loved me... no
And did you say she was pretty?
And did you say that she loves you?
Baby I don't want to know
And can you tell me was it worth it?
Really I don't want to know

Time casts its spell on you
But you won't forget me
I know I could have loved you
But you would not let me

Time casts its spell on you
But you won't forget me
I know I could have loved you
But you would not let me

I'll follow you down 'til the sound
Of my voice will haunt you
You'll never get away from the sound
Of the woman that loves you

I'll follow you down 'til the sound
Of my voice will haunt you
Was I just a fool?
You'll never get away from the sound
Of the woman that loves you

I'll follow you down 'til the sound
Of my voice will haunt you
Was I such a fool?
You'll never get away from the sound
Of the woman that loves you
Give me just a chance


And a fan video of the original recording. It's kind of silly, but sadly, all the live videos I could find were pretty low quality.