Stevie Nicks explains how Roe v. Wade inspired powerful new single ‘The Lighthouse’
Stevie Nicks has released her new political single, ‘The Lighthouse’, which she sees as an anthem for women in the United States following the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
‘The Lighthouse’ marks the Fleetwood Mac vocalist’s first new single in four years, following the release of ‘Show Them The Way’ in 2020. Supported by guitar twangs and backing vocals provided by Sheryl Crow, the new song finds Nicks encouraging listeners to keep hold of their power despite attempts to remove it.
“All the rights that you had yesterday, are taken away,” she sings, “and now you’re afraid, you should be afraid, you should be afraid.” The song was inspired by the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, which had guaranteed women the right to an abortion for almost four decades.
Nicks wrote ‘The Lighthouse’ in response to the news. “It seemed like overnight, people were saying, ‘What can we, as a collective force, do about this…’ For me, it was to write a song,” she explained.
The singer-songwriter was watching television when she stumbled across a news reporter speaking about “what the loss of Roe v. Wade would come to mean.” She penned the song the next day.
“I have often said to myself, ‘This may be the most important thing I ever do,'” Nicks continued, “To stand up for the women of the United States and their daughters and granddaughters — and the men that love them. This is an anthem.
The accompanying music video emphasises the song’s message. It begins with several definitions of the word “lighthouse,” including “a powerful beam that illuminates a path from darkness and uncertainty toward light.” This seems to mirror Nicks’ goal with the song, an anthem to guide women who might feel uncertain in the current political landscape in the United States.
Shots of Nicks looking down at stormy seas from a lighthouse are then interspersed with imagery of protests and political placards from throughout the decades. “The hardest decision a woman can make isn’t yours,” one states. The end of the video sees Nicks leading a protest of her own across the beach.
Following the release of ‘The Lighthouse’, the former Fleetwood Mac singer is set to appear on Saturday Night Live this weekend. Ariana Grande will host the episode, while Nicks will be the musical guest of the night.
As of yet, Nicks is yet to reveal whether ‘The Lighthouse’ is a one-off single or whether it offers the first glimpse of a new album.
This past summer, Nicks played a headline set at BST Hyde Park in London. In a review, Far Out wrote: “Beyond remembering her own career through the display of her various costumes and the performance of her decade-spanning hits, the show is heavy with a sense of grief, responsibility and bittersweet celebration. Nicks gives so much time in her set to the memory of her lost friends, sometimes even showing the faces of passed idols during other tracks, such as flashes of Prince and a final wail of ‘When Doves Cry’ at the end of ‘Edge of Seventeen’.
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