Fleetwood Mac's "Silver Springs" is one of their most popular songs, especially among Gen Z, but what is the story behind the 1977 track? Lead singer Stevie Nicks has been known for her female rage songs long before Taylor Swift took over the music industry. Swift even referenced the singer in her song "Clara Bow" from The Tortured Poets Department. However, Nicks's breakup songs were even more powerful when she was a part of Fleetwood Mac, and the band's lore was strong enough to inspire Taylor Jenkins Reid to write Daisy Jones & The Six.

Younger generations became acquainted with the band's history when Reid's novel was adapted into an Amazon Prime series starring Elvis Presley's granddaughter, Riley Keough. The Stevie Nicks-esque party girl had a connection with her bandmate, Billy Dunne, similar to Nicks's real-life romance with her bandmate, Lindsey Buckingham. Much of Fleetwood Mac's lore is connected to that romance, which would inspire an array of breakup songs and create conflict within the band.

According to Nicks's lyrics, the relationship did not end well. And while it was devastating for Nicks and Buckingham, it led to some incredible music, including "Silver Springs."

Silver Springs Is About Lindsey Buckingham

Stevie Nicks Wrote The Song About Their Breakup

Unsurprisingly, like many of the songs on Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album, Rumours, "Silver Springs" was about Stevie Nicks's split from Buckingham. The two met when Nicks was a senior at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California. Initially, they had their own duo group called Buckingham Nicks before ing the already-formed Fleetwood Mac in 1974. The pair, who began dating in the early '70s, called things off around the time they were working on Rumours. Songs like "Dreams" and "You Can Go Your Own Way" were about their tumultuous romance. "Silver Springs" was another hit Nicks directed at her former partner.

It was a rough breakup that left both parties devastated. Nicks was the one to end it, according to band member Christine McVie, but both Nicks and Buckingham were negatively impacted. At the time, the whole band was going through it together as McVie and her husband and band member John McVie ended their marriage. Mick Fleetwood was also going through a divorce, so the heartbreaking music Nicks and Buckingham were making applied to everyone. "Silver Springs" is far from a kind song about Nicks's ex and showcases just how betrayed she felt looking back at the relationship.

Why Wasn't Silver Springs On The Original Rumors Album?

Silver Springs Was Cut From The 1975 Record

Despite being such a powerful song, "Silver Springs" did not make it onto the original Rumours album. Nicks was not happy when Mick Fleetwood pulled her aside to let her know he thought the song should be left off the record. While she never gave all the reasons why, Nicks itted that the length of the song was a problem. The song is nearly five minutes long, and since there were eleven tracks on the album, three of which were already over four minutes, it's understandable why Fleetwood made this tough decision.

This was also back in the vinyl record days, three decades before Spotify would launch the streaming era. Back then, it was much harder to fit so many tracks into an album. Luckily, the world still got to hear the song when it appeared as a B-side to the single "You Can Go Your Own Way." However, "Silver Springs" later appeared on 1992's 25 Years–The Chain and 2004's Rumours remastered edition.

Silver Springs Lyrics Explained

Why Stevie Nicks Chose This Title

Stevie Nicks revealed that the inspiration for "Silver Springs" came while she was ing through Silver Spring, Maryland, while on tour. She thought it sounded like a nice place because the name was so beautiful, so she used it to write about her former relationship. The song is set up brilliantly where it initially seems it could be a love song as Nicks compares her partner to the Maryland town. However, by line five, the song takes a different turn, and listeners learn this is not a story of happily ever after.

You could be my silver spring

Blue-green colors flashin'

I would be your only dream

Your shinin' autumn ocean crashin'

Don't say that she's pretty

And did you say that she loved you?

Baby, I don't want to know

So I'll begin not to love you

Turn around, see me runnin'

I'll say I loved you years ago

Tell myself you never loved me, no

Don't say that she's pretty

And did you say that she loved you?

Baby, I don't want to know

Oh no

And can you tell me was it worth it?

Baby, I don't want to know

Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me

I know I could have loved you

But you would not let me

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

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

Was I such a fool?

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

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

I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice

At the start of verse one, Stevie Nicks sings of what could have been. Her relationship with Buckingham could have been as beautiful as the town name sounds or as ethereal as a dream. However, by the refrain, she sings of other girls Buckingham has been with. The fantasy gets tainted with the reality that the relationship wasn't so beautiful after all. She continues into verse two, singing of running away and forcing herself not to love her partner anymore. He has moved on, and she knows she has to do the same in order to ease the pain.

Nicks repeats the refrain again, adding a few lines to differentiate it and deepen the song's emotion. Then comes the most recognizable lyrics of the song. "Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me," Nicks sings as the song's tempo builds and her anger and frustration shine through in her vocals. This isn't just a regretful breakup song of wishful thinking and could have beens. "Silver Springs" is reeling with fury and resentment. It's this part of the track where the anger buried under the sadness comes up to the surface.

There's an instrumental break where the song seems to return to its prior sadness before picking up again. The lyrics are repeated for the remainder of "Silver Springs," with Nicks only sounding angrier every time. Extra lyrics are added in this time, becoming some of the most famous of the song:

"I'll follow you down til the sound of my voice will haunt you. Oh, give me just a chance. You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loved you."

Nicks is letting her former partner know that no matter how many women he goes on to date, he will forever be haunted by his time with her. The song fades out, with Nicks continuing her roaring vocals, making the outro truly haunting.

The 1997 Silver Springs Live Performance

Why This Fleetwood Mac Performance Is So Iconic

Two decades later, the band reignited the flames of the Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham breakup. The iconic 1997 performance of "Silver Springs" is still talked about today. The performance was part of a Fleetwood Mac reunion show released as The Dance. Fans were excited to see the band performing together again, but Fleetwood Mac had a special treat in store that no one saw coming. The band didn't just perform "Silver Springs," but Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham put on a show.

Right as "Silver Springs" got to its climax, Nicks turned to face Buckingham, singing the lyrics directly to him. Buckingham played right into the skit, singing back to Nicks with guilt in his eyes like he knew what he'd done wrong. The performance was evidence of Nicks's original promise that her ex-partner would never escape from the pain he caused her. Two decades later, and she was still reminding him. The performance became so iconic that it regularly circulates on TikTok, with Gen Z s wishing they were born to see the performance in real time.

However, it also became a source of inspiration for Taylor Jenkins Reid's novel. In the book, and later recreated for the show, Daisy Jones turns toward Billy Dunne mid-performance so he will feel every lyric. Unlike Buckingham, Dunne is not so playful with Jones and seems uncomfortable with her performance choice. Still, the "Silver Springs" performance and the song itself have gone down in music history and will continue to for as long as people find intrigue in messy breakups and angry breakup songs.