“I believe it is about me”: Mick Fleetwood’s favourite song by Christine McVie
There was no shortage of songwriting talent in Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks cast sonic spells on tracks like ‘Dreams’ and ‘Silver Springs’, filling her lyrics and melodies with entrancing intent. Lindsey Buckingham was just as apt with a guitar, turning his romantic frustrations into a mix of catchy tunes and experimental works. And while the two former lovers penned biting songs about one another, Christine McVie showed off her own songwriting prowess with keys and charming melodies.
The full-time keyboardist and occasional vocalist had a real talent for melody, a talent she would use to create some of Fleetwood Mac’s most fun-filled songs, as well as some of their most emotionally devastating. She showed off her ability to pen a shimmering pop track on ‘Everywhere’, but she was just as capable of reducing listeners to tears on tracks like ‘Songbird’.
McVie’s talent for songwriting knew no bounds, which makes it quite difficult to pick out a favourite from her repertoire. There are so many classics to choose from — perhaps the impossibly catchy ‘Don’t Stop’? Or the gentle grooves of ‘You Make Loving Fun’? But what about the hypnotic ‘Little Lies’? Each and every contribution she made to their catalogue is a worthy contender.
But for McVie’s bandmate and drummer Mick Fleetwood, it was ‘Oh Daddy’ that made the biggest impact. In a documentary about the making of Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 magnum opus, Rumours, Fleetwood named ‘Oh Daddy’ as “one of [his] favourite songs” that McVie had recorded, calling it “fantastic”. The gloomy piece featured as the penultimate track on Rumours, and it was also released as the final single from the record.
In contrast with singalong hits like ‘Everywhere’ and ‘Don’t Stop’, ‘Oh Daddy’ shows off McVie’s ability to write something slightly more dismal and downtempo. She pulls in organs and synths to create a moody atmosphere, punctuating it with sparse percussion while her vocals float high above. “Why are you right when I’m so wrong?” she asks, “I’m so weak, but you’re so strong.”
It’s no surprise that ‘Oh Daddy’ takes the title for Fleetwood’s favourite song penned by McVie, considering that he provided the inspiration for its subject matter. “I believe it is about me, ‘Oh Daddy’…” he explained, “And I was the only father in the band at that point.” The lyrics may allude to Fleetwood’s literal fatherhood, but they could also reference his position as the fatherly leader of the band, guiding them through the turbulence of the late 1970s.
But the beauty of ‘Oh Daddy’ also stems from its ambiguity. While McVie may have penned the lyrics with Fleetwood in mind, her words can be interpreted in a number of other ways. We might interpret the track as dealing with an insecure relationship, romantic or familial. McVie’s feelings of foolishness and lack of self-worth in the song certainly uphold this interpretation.
By pairing murky twangs with lyrics steeped in real emotion, McVie created one of the most devastating yet beautiful songs not just on Rumours but in Fleetwood Mac’s entire catalogue. It proves that her talent extended beyond catchy keys and into truly emotionally harrowing pieces. It’s easy to see why ‘Oh Daddy’ takes the title for Fleetwood’s favourite McVie song.
