The True Story Behind the Iconic Fleetwood Mac Performance Fans Still Can't Get Over

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The True Story Behind the Iconic Fleetwood Mac Performance Fans Still Can't Get Over originally appeared on Parade.

It's no secret that Fleetwood Mac's legendary Rumours album was largely inspired by the breakup of band members (and onetime couple) Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham — but the song that comes to mind for most fans today when they think about the notoriously star-crossed lovers wasn't even included on the record.

While "Silver Springs" was written for Rumours, the track was eventually cut from the album (much to the dismay of Nicks, who reportedly screamed "bloody murder" when she heard the news, according to Rolling Stone) and released instead as the B-side to “Go Your Own Way.” But in 1997, when Fleetwood Mac reunited to film their award-winning live album and concert film The Dance, they delivered an incredibly passionate version of the ballad that went on to become one of their most talked-about performances of all time. Years later, the unforgettable moment continues to live on in the form of countless memes and social media shares.

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In the now-classic clip, Nicks shared an intense look with her former flame as she sang the lyrics: “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."

The energy between the couple grew even more electric as Nicks continued to sing:

"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."

In a 1997 interview withArizona Republic (via The Nicks Fix), Nicks reflected on filming the emotionally loaded moment, admitting, "In six weeks of rehearsal, it was never like that."

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"Only on Friday night did we let it go into something deeper," she explained. "When we went on Friday, I knew we'd bring it out in case it was the last thing we'd ever do. The other shows were really, really good, but they weren't the show I wanted to leave behind. This show was."

"I wanted people to stand back and really watch and understand what [the relationship] was," Nicks said, revealing that she wrote "Silver Springs" to say, "I'm so angry with you. You will listen to me on the radio for the rest of your life, and it will bug you. I hope it bugs you."

That same year, Buckingham gave his own take on the experience in an interview with Rolling Stone, saying, “‘Silver Springs’ always ends up in that place for me because she’s always very committed to what those words are about, and I remember what they were about then."

“Now it’s all irony, you know, but there is no way you can’t get drawn into the end of that song," he added, with Nicks chiming in to say, “When we’re [onstage] there singing songs to each other, we probably say more to each other than we ever would in real life."

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The True Story Behind the Iconic Fleetwood Mac Performance Fans Still Can't Get Over first appeared on Parade on Jul 7, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.