Before there were any Fleetwood Mac rumors or romances, before countless soft-rock all-timers were made, and before Stevie Nicks became a witchy fashion icon, she was just another struggling musician. Her road to rock stardom was going to be difficult. However, it began when she had a chance meeting with guitarist Lindsey Buckingham in school.
Before Mick Fleetwood signed them, Nicks and Buckingham recorded as a duo under the name Buckingham Nicks. Their music demonstrated their skill as songwriters and wasn’t too dissimilar from Fleetwood Mac’s sound. When Polydor showed interest in Buckingham Nicks, the band’s future appeared bright. However, much to their dismay, the release of their debut album resulted in a commercial failure.
Stevie Nicks took over as their primary provider after that. While she worked two jobs to make ends meet, Buckingham concentrated on improving his knowledge and abilities as a musician. Nicks once said in an interview with BAM Magazine, “It was obvious I was going to be the one to do the work if we were going to live. He didn’t know how to do anything but play the guitar and I did.”
The couple had no idea that fame and fortune were on the horizon as Buckingham played the guitar at home and Nick grafted. However, Nicks was aiming for it from the beginning when she was writing songs. This is why some of her lyrics now seem like prophecies. Though Buckingham and Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac only a few years after Buckingham wrote “After the Glitter Fades,” its meaning appeared to foreshadow future events.
The song was never included on a Fleetwood Mac project and was never released under the Buckingham Nicks moniker. When Nicks released it as a solo artist in the early 1980s, she had become well-acquainted with the ups and downs of celebrity. Nicks can be heard wishing for her success in the song. This features swaying percussion and swirls in a country-esque manner. In the opening verse, she sings, “What I seem to touch these days has turned to gold. What I seem to want, well, you know I’ll find a way.”
Stevie Nicks asserts that the dream never goes away, even though the glitter of ambition fades with every setback. The song appeared to map out the challenges she had encountered in her formative years, including the unfulfilled dreams and dead-end jobs that left her feeling trapped and hopeless, as well as the ambition that persisted despite everything. She worked tirelessly to support their music careers because she had an unwavering desire for them to “make it,” which they did.
Nicks said that she had already seen the glitter fade that early in her career, calling the song “very prophetic.” Nevertheless, she had a deep-seated belief that their perseverance and hard work would pay off and that there was hope. She couldn’t have said it better.
Shortly after finishing “After the Glitter Fades,” Fleetwood asked Buckingham to join his soft-rock group. Their luck soon turned around because the guitarist brought his songwriting partner along for the ride. They gave up a life of drugs, sex, and rock and roll for sold-out shows bad sales, and long hours. It appeared as though the glitter had come back to life.
