Friday Song: “Silver Springs”
A sleeper classic from Stevie Nicks has only grown more popular with time
To conceal her identity, Stevie Nicks used to check into hotels under the alias “Miss Silver Spring.” That’s how personally she took this song, which she wrote about her breakup with Fleetwood Mac guitarist and long-time boyfriend and musical collaborator Lindsey Buckingham. “[The song] was me realizing that Lindsey was going to haunt me for the rest of my life, and he has,” she told Rolling Stone in 2009.
The title was inspired by a drive through Washington, DC, where Nicks saw a sign for Silver Spring, MD. She loved the name, but added an “s” to make it more abstract. Like may Nicks compositions, it is utterly simple (two main chords), yet devastatingly effective.
Written during the sessions leading up to their classic, hits-packed album Rumours, the song was released only as a B-side to two major hits (“Go Your Own Way,” Buckingham’s song to Nicks about their breakup, and “Don’t Stop”). The band played it live on their 1977 tour, but it wasn’t until their 1997 reunion tour that the song became a centerpiece, and its popularity truly soared. This version is featured today.
In 2013, Nicks appeared on two episodes of the TV series American Horror Story: Coven, including the finale, where this song was used in a scene where a witch is sent to be burned at the stake.
During the performance featured here, watch Buckingham and Nicks lock eyes during the final third of the song. You can feel the electricity.
Enjoy!