But never ever been a blue calm sea/
I have always been a storm.

Fleetwood Mac is one of the greatest bands of all time. If you don’t recognize their name you can sing along with at least ten of their songs. “Storms” is one of Fleetwood’s deeper cuts. The band consisted primarily of three songwriters who battled it out for space on each record: Stevie Nicks, Christie McVie, & Lindsey Buckingham.

Each are amazing talents, and did their best work together, even though their relationship was often strained and tumultuous. And fascinating. “Storms” is a Stevie Nicks song. All Fleetwood Mac songs were produced or coproduced by Lindsey who was the Brian Wilson of Fleetwood Mac.

Nicks writes about a lover she hasn’t been with him in a while: “Every night I feel a little less”. But is he just testing her or is he just not interested in her anymore? She hopes for the former, but we suspect the later. She expresses a great fondness for this person, but she admits she has neglected the relationship as well. She wants to be calm, but Stevie Nicks is not a calm person, she is a storm. As the storm in her mind brews, she moves from loving him to knowing that it is over. Her feelings towards him begin to harden.

The melody and the vocal are exceptional—they are a classic example of Nicks’ work. She never over-emotes. She expresses herself in her lyrics. Her lyrics are sometimes melodramatic but not her voice. Her lyrics here are a typical example of common themes throughout her work: storms, dreams, love, and breakups.  The guitar work here is subtle, but it also adds a lot to the song. Notice the unique picking pattern of the acoustic guitar. That’s Buckingham. You can also hear Christine McVie’s organ adding to the dreamy feel of the song.  This is one of Stevie Nicks’ best songs.

Storms Lyrics

Every night that goes between
I feel a little less
As you slowly go away from me
This is only another test

Every day you do not come
Your softness fades away
Did I ever really care that much
Is there anything left to say

Every hour of fear I spend
My body tries to cry
Living through each empty night
A deadly call inside

I haven’t felt this way I feel
Since many a years ago
But in those years and the lifetimes past
I did not deal with the road
And I did not deal with you I know
Though the love has always been
So I search to find an answer there
So I can truly win

Every hour of fear I spend
My body tries to cry
Living through each empty night
A deadly call inside

So I try to say good-bye my friend
Id like to leave you with something more
But never ever been a blue calm sea
I have always been a storm

Always been a storm
Oh always been a storm
I have always been a storm

We were frail
She said “every night he will break your heart”
I should’ve known from the first
Id be the broken-hearted
But I loved you from the start
Not all the prayers in the world could save us

Songwriters: Stevie Nicks