Handwritten Fleetwood Mac lyrics by Peter Green sell for £25,000
In an auction held in Woking, Surrey, handwritten lyrics and chord charts for an early Fleetwood Mac hit have sold for almost £25,000.
The lyrics for ‘Man of the World’ were described as “unique” by Ewbank’s auction house and were subsequently bought by a collector from the Middle East.
Partner and auctioneer Andrew Ewbank also added that the song sheet was “consigned by his estate.” He continued, “It shows the moment of creation of one of his most famous songs – written at the point of crisis that led to his eventual departure.”
Ewbank reminded those at the auction that Peter Green was “the founder of Fleetwood Mac, outsold The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined at the end of the 1960s, and is considered the guitarist’s guitarist by many of the music legends.”
The sheet was handwritten in blue ballpoint pen and has corrections in black ink. It reveals that Green changed three lines of the lyrics and added a complete line to the last verse. Each line that Green kept the same is ticked in black ink.
Green wrote ‘Man of the World’ in 1969, during a period of increased LSD consumption and recurring bouts of depression. Within the year, Green walked away from the band. The single was released as a standalone in April 1969. It entered the charts at number two.
Mick Fleetwood once said of the single, “It’s a sad song. Had we known what Peter was saying… What’s that line? ‘How I wish that I’d never been born.’ You know, whoa. It’s pregnant with passion, it’s a prayer, it’s a crying out.”
Elsewhere in the Fleetwood Mac universe, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks have confirmed their 1973 album, Buckingham Nicks, will be reissued.
The album has become a rare collector’s item over recent decades due to it being long out of print. However, the vinyl version will be available once again on September 19th, 2025.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.