Fans of any group usually live in terror of the death knells of infighting. But in the case of Fleetwood Mac, for better or worse, conflict saw them create some of their most spectacular pieces, and few songs display that better than “Go Your Own Way.”
“Go Your Own Way” came our way just in time to close out 1976 as the first single on the band’s 11th studio album, Rumours. The whole tracklist is a firsthand look for fans of the messy dynamics between the bandmates, some of whom were former lovers, and every single note sung is dripping with the emotions that come with such a messy setup. But if you agree there’s something achingly special about “Go Your Own Way,” this might be why.
“Go Your Own Way” is a special look at the relationship woes Fleetwood Mac was embroiled in
As a whole, 1977’s Rumours is a musically biographical look under the microscope of Fleetwood Mac’s personal drama, which ended up fueling a lot of the band’s biggest hits; case and point, “The Chain.” But “Go Your Own Way” still manages to stand out, especially the official live performance.
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Rumours came at a total decay of romantic relationships, one between John and Christine McVie, the other between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Getting the studio version of this track recorded was full of tension in the studio, and every bit of that pain and poignancy went into the song.
In the live performance, audiences are treated to a show on multiple fronts. There’s the catchy music that matches the standards of any Fleetwood Mac hit. Same with the general notes the singing reaches. But there’s also tons of emotions in those words as their sung, all tied in the neat, messy bow that is the couple’s facial expressions. To watch Nicks’s face is to watch a full emotional journey, complete with an arc that has fans wondering if those were tears in her eyes to the flash of a smile, accented by longing glances at Buckingham. One three-and-a-half-minute song is essentially a whole movie.
No filter between heart, mind, and lyrics
If “Go Your Own Way” sounds especially raw with feelings that’s because Buckingham described the songwriting process as “a stream of consciousness,” adding, “There was nothing about it that was thought out. It was just the raw expression of the emotion behind the song.”
Nicks confirms this, saying, “It was certainly a message within a song,” but adds, “And not a very nice one at that.”
Remarkably, almost alarmingly since it means we came so close to not having this aching treat of a song, producer Ken Caillat wasn’t too won over, critiquing, “Lindsey was beating his acoustic guitar as hard as he could and screaming his lungs out. The first time I heard it, I thought, What the heck is going on? It sounded so non-musical. I didn’t know if anything would come from it.”
In the end, a lot came of it. While it is first and foremost one of Fleetwood Mac’s storied breakup and heartache songs, “Go Your Own Way” has also enjoyed popularity as a stadium anthem. Back in 2010, Rolling Stone ranked it 120 in its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. A few years ago, it made the list again, albeit at 401. The same outlet also considers “Go Your Own Way” the second-greatest Fleetwood Mac song of all time. Do you agree?
