“I know you’re lying”: The Christine McVie song that saved Fleetwood Mac
The 1980s represented a troubling time for successful rock bands of the previous era, and as he following decade endured a seismic cultural shift, which left the opulence of classic rock in the rear view mirror and instead, hurtled towards a new futuristic landscape.
Fleetwood Mac, however, had proven they could adapt, and so surely, would have been well equipped to navigate this change, right?
From the very moment Mick Fleetwood and John McVie formed this dramatic band, they had been faced with challenges that required continued adaptability. Whether it was losing Peter Green and losing a grip of blues rock stardom, or keeping a tumultuous group of jilted lovers together for Rumours, this enduring band has seemingly beaten whatever odds were stacked against them.
But at the very end of the 1970s, the cracks began to show in their ambitious albeit inflated album Tusk. Lindsey Buckingham was slowly evolving into a creative dictator rather than a leader, and the remaining members of the band were becoming rightly disillusioned. None more so than his ex-partner Nicks, who felt the rumblings of a solo career come at the turn of the decade.
After she exercised that desire, with the triumphant debut album Bella Donna, it looked as though the writing was on the wall for a band who, let’s face it, had been on borrowed time since 1977. The inner workings of the band were beginning to fray – the cocaine addiction amongst the members had gotten wildly out of control, and despite being one of the biggest bands in the world, some of them were facing financial ruin.
The 1982 record Mirage did little in the way of salvaging that, and if anything, the standout track ‘Gypsy’ proved that Nicks ought to leave the band altogether. But then came their ‘87 record Tango In The Night, which saw something of a return to sonic form, led by their most reliable songwriting member: Christine McVie.
In ‘Everywhere’ and ‘Little Lies’, she delivered two hit songs that spoke directly to contemporary culture. Rather than rehashing a once successful formula, she engaged with the new styles that were embraced in the ‘80s and thrust the band back to the top of the charts.
‘Little Lies’ became an instant hit for the band, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 upon release and hitting number one for four weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart. But the real success was its ability to return the band to their best, with a song that felt akin to Nicks’ 1977 hit ‘Dreams’.
The warm atmosphere and light harmonies were perfectly suited to the band, no matter the era and became the rightful anthem of this new era for the band, and aptly, the lyrics felt like a mission statement for them, with McVie explaining, “The idea of the lyric is: If I had the chance, I’d do it differently next time,” adding, “But since I can’t, just carry on lying to me and I’ll believe, even though I know you’re lying.”
It seemed perfect for a band who had been convincing themselves of their own compatibility for nearly a decade at that point.
