“Landslide” Lyrics & Meaning (Fleetwood Mac)

Most people of a certain age know the song Landslide.

But those same people, if they’re being honest, probably did not know the song back when it was released.

Few people paid much attention to it back then.

That has certainly changed now. The song is considered one of Stevie Nicks’ biggest hits.

As the title suggests, she sings about a Landslide. But is that really what she is talking about?

No. The true meaning of the song is not so straightforward. But it’s not too cryptic either.

Let’s take a look at the entire lyrics, before we analyze them and see what Stevie was trying to say when she put these beautiful words to paper.

 

Landslide Lyrics And Meaning

Fleetwood Mac is one of the most incredible bands of the 70s. Their most recognizable member is singer Stevie Nicks, but she actually did not join the band until late 1974.

Known as the Queen of Rock and Roll, she became the band’s lead singer in 1974, when she joined Fleetwood Mac along with her then-boyfriend, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham.

The first album released after their addition was Fleetwood Mac.  The song Landslide is the first song that Stevie Nicks wrote for the band.

Stevie wrote the song before joining the band, when she was at a crossroads in her life. Her father said she should dedicate another 6 months to her singing career. If nothing worked out by then, he would pay for whatever college she wanted.

She went to Aspen, Colorado, a place known for ski resorts and snow. Inspired by the landscape and the moment of reflection, she wrote Landslide.

Stevie wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue with her career and felt that if nothing went right and people didn’t like her music, her dream would fall apart. Three months later, she was called to sing and play in the band.

Fleetwood Mac’s next album, Rumors, became the band’s most successful album and ended up winning the Grammy for album of the year.

Let’s take a look at the lyrics to this incredible song, before diving in and analyzing the lyrics.

 

Landslide Lyrics

Verse 1

I took my love, took it down
I climbed a mountain, and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
‘Til the landslide brought me down

Verse 2

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm

Chorus

Well, I’ve been afraid of changing
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder, even children get older
And I’m getting older too

Chorus

Well, I’ve been afraid of changing
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder, even children get older
And I’m getting older too
Oh, I’m getting older too

Verse 3

I take my love, take it down
Ah, climb a mountain and turn around
And If you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring you down

Outro

And If you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring you down
Oh, the landslide will bring it down

 

Landslide Meaning

Landslide talks about the uncertainties we have when we’re younger and the fear of what’s ahead or whether we are on the right path:

Can I sail through the changin’ ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
Well, I’ve been afraid of changing,
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you.

But she goes on to say that time makes us braver and that kids grow and get older, and that she is getting older too. The end of the song says:

And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills,
Well, the landslide will bring you down

When we decide to take a risk and chase our dreams, we never know what might happen. It can have bad consequences, but it can also be the best thing in our lives.

The harmony presented in the voice, the interpretation, and the fluidity in the guitars together with the lyrics all combine to transmit to listeners the idea that love has to end. That life goes on, but you never have control over it.

Consisting of a soft, recursive melody and a slow rhythm produced by acoustic guitars, the song is complemented by Nicks’ voice embellished with a bit of echo and the faint but effective electric guitar solo that appears towards the middle of the song.

The lyrics are not at all direct – a phrase here, another there allow us to see that it is a love song. But the best-achieved verses also tell us that it is a retrospection, a moment of reflection in the face of difficult times and complicated decisions.

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

 

Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks has said that when she wrote Landslide she was evaluating what to do with her life and that it was in response to her inability to achieve success in the music industry. She was 26 years old when she wrote the song in 1974.

However, the meaning of the song is ambiguous. Some songs are not written for a particular audience. They are written as a way of expressing the composer’s intentions.

But Landslide was an exception. Fleetwood Mac as a whole transformed from a traditional British blues band to more of a pop-rock group after the addition of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

Landslide was not a part of that. It was a song that never really took off. It’s reach was limited to connoisseurs of the band.

But in the years since, it has become much more popular. Many bands and artists have done their own versions, including the Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and even Miley Cyrus.

Here are some more interesting facts about Stevie Nicks at that time, and about the song itself.

• The label created by Nicks that has the rights to her songs is called “Welsh Witch Music”, contributing to the rumor that Nicks is a witch, in the shamanic sense of the Celts.
• At the time she wrote this song, things were not going well for Nicks, neither financially nor emotionally (Buckingham was embarking on a tour), so Nicks strongly considered leaving the bohemian life and returning to university.
• The album from which this song comes gave a second wind to the band Fleetwood Mac and led them to become one of the best bands of the 70s and part of the 80s, something that would not have happened if Nicks had given up at that moment.
• As part of her image on stage, Nicks adorned the tambourine and microphone she uses (Sennheiser MD-441-U5) with scarves, ribbons, and even crystal necklaces, giving them a feminine touch and adding a personal style to the space on stage.
• Her now-fashionable platform boots were adopted as part of Nicks’ image upon joining Fleetwood Mac in 1975, because she didn’t want to look ridiculously short compared to Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Lindsay Buckingham.
• In early 1975, Mick Fleetwood was looking for a guitarist for his band, and he asked Lindsey to join them. Lindsey made it a condition that Stevie also join the band.
• Although Landslide was not released as a single, Rhiannon (also written by Nicks) was and was a great success.
• In total, more than five million copies of the LP were sold.
• Unfortunately, and as anticipated in the lyrics of Landslide, the romantic relationship between Nicks and Buckingham ended in 1975, which added a lot of tension, but was not an impediment to their achieving a long list of successes together in the group. In a recording from 2004, we can hear Stevie dedicate Landslide to Lindsey and sing it, while he masterfully accompanies her on guitar.
• And yes, the Dixie Chicks, on their 2002 album Home covered the Stevie Nicks tune, adding a more country music background. They released Landslide as the album’s second single.

 

Landslide Lyrics Meaning

Stevie Nicks wrote Landslide before joining Fleetwood Mac, but it ended up becoming one of her most famous contributions to the band’s repertoire.

The lyrics are certainly not straightforward, but they are also not overly cryptic. They are personal lyrics for Stevie that she wrote as she was grappling with some big decisions in life. The real achievement of the song is the way all the elements work together to transmit the feeling perfectly to the listener.

For something similar, and yet very different, check out our discussion of the meaning of the lyrics to Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution. Interestingly, Prince actually approached Stevie Nicks to write the lyrics to this song, but she felt unable to do so.

Another song that dealt with change is one of the most famous tunes ever. Check out our analysis of the American Pie lyrics meaning here.

Finally, we have another female artist and one of her biggest hits. Our breakdown of the Both Sides, Now lyrics meaning explains this deeply introspective and beautiful tune.