WXTJ Writes by Alice Cormier: “Childhood Magic & Fleetwood Mac”
[DJ: You used to think you were a witch?] “Yes.”
– Stevie Nicks, WEGQ FM Eagle 93.7 , May 21, 1998
When I was a kid, my best friend and I played with fairies. I collected leaves, bugs and rocks, making potions and spells with handfuls of earth. One night, I hid from my cat because I truly believed he was casting spells on me. At the public library, I begged my mom to find books about mermaids. “No mom! Real mermaids Not pretend stories. Non-fiction!” Halloween was always my favorite holiday. I wrote letters to leprechauns. I tricked third-grade bullies into believing I was a witch. I loved myself and my life fully, searching for meaning everywhere.
Looking back, all of this makes me laugh. I was definitely a little bit weird, but I feel infinitely grateful that I had the freedom to be my honest, free-spirited self as a child. There is a sense of childhood magic in these memories, a joy that I am still able to find in my love for music.
I can rediscover my sense of childhood wonder when I listen to Fleetwood Mac. Their music expresses a feeling of dreaminess — whether through eclectic instrumentals, Stevie Nicks’ bewitching voice, or fantastical lyrics that tell stories of powerful women, love, heartbreak, or nature. Stevie Nicks embodies an essence of magic. She is an artist who I will always admire. Her voice is deep, but somehow also has a specific lightness about it. The crisp, clear sounds of her voice flutter over lyrics. Mix this with intense vocal and instrumental crescendos, and it feels like a spell is being cast on you.
Fleetwood Mac’s discography contains songs with lyrics that allude to magic. The lyrics form mysterious metaphors that hint at mystical themes. In one of Fleetwood Mac’s most famous songs Dreams, it is impossible to ignore the catchy reference to divination. “Now here I go again, I see the crystal visions. I keep my visions to myself.” Some of their songs do this more explicitly. For example, Rhiannon is about a fictional witch that Nicks created inspired by a book she read. In an “Innerview” with Jim Ladd on ‘77 Radio, Nicks talks about writing Rhiannon: “I wrote this song and made [Rhiannon] into what I thought was an old Welsh witch…. it’s just about, it’s just about a very mystical woman that is finds it very, very hard to be tied down in any kind of way, and she’s uplifting all through the song.”
Another Fleetwood Mac song that references a magical woman is Sisters of the Moon. This is one of my favorites. I love how the lyrics tell a story, almost theatrically. From the first lyrics, the story draws me in, and I am able to visualize a scene unfold.
Intense silence
As she walked in the room
Her black robes trailing
Sister of the moon
This “Sister of the moon” character encapsulates the mysterious spirit of feminine magic, and the guitar solo aids the lyrical storytelling.
I will never stop loving Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood Mac reminds me why I love music and why I love being feminine. Even more so, their music reminds me of the awe-inspiring power of art and magic that I have loved since childhood.
Alice Cormier 1/2 of the hosts of Cosmic Comedown, Thursday 8am – 10am. You can follow Alice on Spotify here!
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