27. Fleetwood Mac - "Go Your Own Way"


"Go your own way"was written by Lindsey Buckingham about breaking up with Stevie Nicks it was the first single from the group's 1977 album Rumours. It peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's first top-ten hit in the U.S. In the UK, the single was not as successful, and would only reach #38. However, the song became very popular in the U.K. over a longer period as 'Rumours' received more radio airplay and it re-entered the singles chart on many occasions. This has led to the song selling gradually over the years and has therefore been certified Silver in the U.K. for Digital sales of over 200,000 copies. The song was also a #1 hit in Netherlands.

This was the first single from the "Rumours" album, which became one of the best-selling of all time. Describing the recording process for this song in Q magazine, drummer Mick Fleetwood said: "'Go Your Own Way's' rhythm was a tom-tom structure that Lindsey demoed by hitting Kleenex boxes or something. I never quite got to grips with what he wanted, so the end result was my mutated interpretation. It became a major part of the song, a completely back-to-front approach that came, I'm ashamed to say, from capitalising on my own ineptness. There was some conflict about the 'crackin' up, shackin' up' line, which Stevie felt was unfair, but Lindsey felt strongly about. It was basically, On your bike, girl!" While the Rumours album was being recorded, the marriage of John and Christine McVie (both of them Mac members) was also coming to an end. With two couples breaking up during the sessions, recording could be quite tense. They were also doing lots of drugs at the sessions, making sure there was plenty of Behind The Music material.

The ultimate break-up song. The ultimate rock song. "Go Your Own Way" has such a passionate, furious driving beat that takes you to such a climactic explosive high, only to bring you down with the realization that it's really about the heartache of ending a relationship with someone you love. This song perfectly captures these feelings of hurt and anger.

Lindsey has said he usually does not write the lyrics to his songs first, but rather initially has the music track in place prior to adding the lyrics. Lindsey's passionate guitar playing is what brings his feelings into his songs, while the addition of the lyrics creates a delicate balance between this guitar playing and putting his feelings into words. "Go Your Own Way" is a truthful song with intense emotions of love and fury that originate from the heart. The music and lyrics show a man plagued by anger, confusion, and disbelief. Through Lindsey's eyes, he paints quite a different picture of what breaking-up feels like than what Stevie has portrayed about the same relationship in her songs at this time (see the mysterious "Dreams" and the haunting "Silver Springs.")

Loving you
Is it the right thing to do?
How can I ever change things
That I feel?

If I could
Baby I'd give you my world
How can I
When you won't take it from me?

You can go your own way
Go your own way
You can call it
Another lonely day
You can go your own way
Go your own way

Tell me why
Everything turned around
Packing up
Shacking up is all you wanna do

If I could
Baby I'd give you my world
Open up
Everything's waiting for you

You can go your own way
Go your own way
You can call it
Another lonely day
You can go your own way
go your own way


It might be a general statement to say that we have all been through relationship breakups, if you haven't then you are one of the lucky ones. Feelings of raw angry and abandonment are the order of the day. Dreams like glass that are shattered, lying in shards on the floor and the feeling of emptiness. Family breakdowns, Adultery, Domestic Violence, often are seen as the reasons. Pain on both sides is guaranteed. The feeling of being lost and trying to find ways of blaming the other. These are intense feelings from people who have loved each other in the past. A sacred covenant broken, love pushed away in favour of moving on to something else.

There is a story in Genesis that talks about a break up in a love relationship and the feelings that come from it. In Genesis 1-3 we have the story of creation. In that story we have  the story of God creating Man and Woman - "Adam" & "Eve" and the dreams of God can be found in that story. The story unfolds that there is temptation away from having a relationship with the creator. Some one else comes on the scene that persuades eve of the right thing to do. What ever we think of the story in Genesis it charts the down fall of a relationship where God the creator becomes the one who is jilted and rejected. Pain is seen in the story and the inevitable happens "Adam and Eve" leave the relationship with God and go off to do their own thing.  The rest of the bible is a road map of so many people going off and doing their own thing. Jesus comes to restore the relationship that has been lost.

The Bible is full of people who take after "Adam and Eve" and  "Go there own way" and who live the outcome of doing so. Unlike in the song the bible also portrays and points to the recovery of the lost relationship with God through Jesus. 

The Bible is essentially a love story of a broken relationship with God who is the creator, a picture of life with out God. A restoration of that relationship and a picture of life with God.

Jesus speaks words about that new life, that new relationship with God
John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full"
The Fleetwood Mac song declares a broken relationship between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. It charts the pain of breaking up but does not have a happy ending. In the story of breakup in the bible, the breakup between God and his creation there is a restorative ending. Jesus come to restore that relationship with God that we were all destined to have. A relationship with God that is a new life, a new covenant, where fullness of life is given in all it's loving glory. May you know this life in all it's fullness.




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