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Fleetwood Mac: Song's Secret Caused 50 Years of Nicks' Rage
5 Sep
Summary
- Buckingham's song "Go Your Own Way" emerged in 1975.
- Nicks resented the lyric 'packing up, shacking up' for 50 years.
- The song has hundreds of live renditions since 1977.
Lindsey Buckingham introduced "Go Your Own Way" in late 1975, a tune that would become a cornerstone of Fleetwood Mac's iconic 1977 album, *Rumours*. While the song's emotional core stemmed from Buckingham's breakup with Stevie Nicks, a particular lyric in its second verse, "packing up, shacking up's all you wanna do," deeply angered Nicks.
Nicks conveyed her strong resentment, stating she "very, very much resented him telling the world that 'packing up, shacking up' with different men was all I wanted to do." She felt Buckingham knowingly misrepresented her actions. This lyrical content caused considerable distress for Nicks whenever the song was performed live.
"Go Your Own Way" has remained a frequent feature in Fleetwood Mac's live sets, with estimates suggesting over 963 live versions exist. The song's enduring popularity meant Nicks often had to confront the controversial lyrics onstage. During the mid-1990s, Buckingham's absence from certain performances necessitated other vocalists stepping in to perform the emotionally charged track.
