Goodbye Angel - Fleetwood Mac - Lindsey Buckingham

Unreleased song from the Mirage era.

Love turned to hate
Touch turned to pull
What could I do
My cup was full
Goodbye Angel

Goodbye angel
(Just let it go)
(Keeping on pulling)
(Just let it go)
Goodbye Angel
(keeping on pulling)
(Just let it go)

Probably the most heartbreaking part of the song, Lindsey is trying to finally make it clear to Stevie that this needs to end and that she needs to stop holding on to whatever they used to have. He may love her still, but he knows that a romantic relationship is not possible for them. Stevie, however still may be reaching for him, hoping that he will stay in her life. Lindsey has been a source of joy for her in the past, he was always a rock of support, and he could always magically make her songs sound beautiful. Lindsey is trying his best to move on, especially as he continues his relationship with Carol, but Stevie is still holding on to him because perhaps she thinks he is the only one who she can turn to, the only one who really understands her. Stevie was dealing with her drug addiction on her own and perhaps she felt the need to pull Lindsey toward her for comfort even though she herself had pulled away from him during their breakup. These lines could also be Lindsey's plea to himself. He needs to reassure himself that this is the right thing to do so he quickly says goodbye to his Angel and tries to pull himself away. He believes that if he let's it (any last remainder of his feelings for her) go, then he can finally be happy and he can reach some state of sanity.

Lindsey wrote "Goodbye Angel" in 1982 and it was never released until 1992 in the 25 years- The Chain boxed set. Following the release of The Dance in 1997, Lindsey and Stevie did a joint interview in which Lindsey spoke of the end of their relationship.

"You break up in '77 and think, 'Hey, get on with it buddy,' but you see that person every day for the next 10 years, pretty much in your face. It wasn't until I left in 1987 that I could face all the issues with Stevie. Certain things are very difficult to resolve. Not of it was ever resolved, but I don't think we were focused enough to know what needed to be resolved."

Perhaps "Goodbye Angel" was Lindsey's attempt to resolve all the issues with Stevie but it is obvious that simple song could not have done that. The song, however, remains one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs of his career.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Goodbye
• Angel
• Fleetwood
• Mac
• Lindsey
• Buckingham

[teamcrumb]

I feel this song isnt about being in control of letting go, its seems to be more about things becoming impossible and having to let go. None of us can know who loved who the most or who was reaching for who and pulling away from who.I hear a man filled with regret and loss of love, but we hear it as a strength because it is delt with via a song, beautiful songs. Imagine if the only way you could undertand a feeling was to write a song about it . . . man they make themselves so vulnerable . . .

[BaronVonBielski]

This should have been on Mirage... can't see why it was left off.

[bobby7771117]

@BaronVonBielski What song would you have taken off the Mirage album to put this in place of it! The only other choice was to probably make a double-album, that usually don't sell that well--except for the early 70's, and my musical hero, Dan Fogelberg, The Innocent Age, in 1981! But, I think double or triple albums were basically gone with the advent of the 80's! But, I like you, am a huge Fleetwood Mac fan, so I feel your pain! Sincerely, BobbyK

[louise76ification]

beautiful and meaningful, but quite sad x

[N0rtheasternGuy]

in=it

[N0rtheasternGuy]

Just when I thought I heard every conceivable Fleetwood Mac song, I come across one I never heard. Thank you for creating in Lindsey. It's beautiful. - Joel 30/m/ny

[TheStellargal]

Lindsey's voice is sooooooooooooooooooo sexy!! My God, he gets me going all the time!

[Droz570]

i can't stop listening to this song, i love it !

[zerrissen28]

love this song!!

[neorich59]

@Muttly0206

I didn't get into them till about a year after "Rumours," was the number 1 album for about as long.

I'm a total Mac-fan, have all the albums since Lindsey & Stevie joined apart from when Lindsey left, all their solo stuff and the more recent album and have seen them 2x in recent years and wasn't disappointed.

There was a time when Stevie was close to losing it, but, thankfully got herself sorted in time.

Would love them to put out the early Buckingham/Nicks album on CD/download.

[Muttly0206]

@neorich59 Thanks i will look out for that, i've been a big fanof F/mac fan since 1974 have seen them in concert a few times over the yearsStevie nicks is still stunning and not lso her voice at all but i do find it difficult to listen her solo stuff (altho its still awesome)

[neorich59]

@Muttly0206

I think he'd come to that conclusion many years before and has been happily married, for many years, but maybe it's like first loves and all that, difficult to forget about, particularly when you spent huge amounts of time in the company of that person years after it's supposedly all over and done with?

There's a great DVD called "Destiny Rules," which documents the making of the last Mac album which gives an insight into their ongoing "issues," ;O)